SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: Equality for Everyone? Not Quite

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside

Weather

Calendar

Today in
S.C.V. History

September 19

1863 - Gen. Edward F. Beale loans money to A.A. Hudson and Oliver P. Robbins to erect toll house in Newhall Pass [story]

Equality for Everyone? Not Quite

The Real Side | Commentary by Joe Messina

Joe Messina | Monday, Jun 10, 2013

Click Here to Get Our 'SCV This Morning' Newsletter

Tweet This

Facebook

Digg This

Bookmark

Stumble

RSS

Ever read or hear about the book, “Men Are From Mars, Woman Are From Venus?” I haven’t actually read it, but I have heard from enough people to have a basic grasp of the premise.

It basically lays out the differences between the sexes and how they complement each other. The book explains how to work from within those differences to live a great life together. It talks about the differences in the way each feel value. Men need to feel respected in order to accept the love from their wives, women need to know they are loved to give themselves totally into the relationship. Equal needs expressed in different ways coming together to make for a great relationship.

Pretty simple, equality. So let’s add some sand to this well-oiled machine.

The book was written 21 years ago. How times have changed. In order for real equality to be served, we need an updated, “Men Are From Mars and Other Men Are From Mars; Women Are From Venus and, Well, Other Women Are From Venus.”

The original book was hailed as a great work that helped millions of couples, but according to today’s “equalists,” the book is useless. The premise of the book is how to get the opposite sexes to relate to one another the way nature intended. How not to see the differences as impediments but as catalysts to make the relationship more solid and how you have to have the differences for the relationship to flourish.

How does this work in a same-sex relationship? The original book falls apart and becomes useless.

Is nature confused? Are we confused? I say we are.

Recently, a man was charged with murder for giving his girlfriend a drug that caused her to have an abortion. She didn’t want to have one and told him she would raise the child alone; he didn’t need to be involved financially or physically. He didn’t want a child, nor did he want her to have it.

If the tables were turned and she didn’t want it but he did, and she had the abortion against his will, no murder charges would have been filed there.

Just to summarize: It’s a life if he objects to it and chooses to abort, but it’s a blob of cells if she objects and chooses to abort. Equality? And the “it’s her body” argument doesn’t hold up because it’s the baby’s body, too. You can’t have it both ways.

Recently, a young man was told he could not pray at the end of the commencement ceremony because one parent complained, citing that it was a public ceremony, paid for by tax dollars. He agreed not to pray. However, a few sentences into the speech, he started to recite the Lord’s Prayer, and to the surprise of that one parent, an overwhelming majority of the students joined in and recited it with him.

The prayer ended to thunderous applause, and 99 percent were quite happy. When the voice of one person outweighs the desire of the community as a whole, is that equality? I think not.

A New Hampshire high school graduate and recent boot camp graduate was barred from wearing his Marine Corps uniform in lieu of the traditional cap and gown. The young man had worked hard to make sure he had his credits done in time to leave early to go to boot camp, pass boot camp and get back for graduation. The school board, in my opinion, made a terrible mistake by not allowing him to do so. No reward for his hard work.

However, if he were a transvestite, would the board have allowed him to dress as a woman, wear the female gown, wig, high heels, and so on? I have seen some graduations where the rainbow colors were worn as a scarf or the gown itself. And this is equality? How?

Finally, based on a report by Britain’s Department for Education and Skills, some schools are no longer teaching about the Holocaust in history lessons so as not to offend Muslim students. The report, titled “Teaching Emotive and Controversial History,” also notes that teachers don’t teach about the crusades because it contradicts what is taught in local mosques.

Truth is truth. Why are they altering history? History is not always comfortable. In fact, it’s often ugly. But it’s also important not to forget it.

The Muslims, like the Christians, went around in the crusades and massacred people who would not convert. It’s true. It really happened. Millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust. It’s true, and the fact that you’re offended doesn’t make it any less true.

In this case, they don’t want to offend Muslims, but accommodating Muslims, they offend the Jews. Equality? I think not.

It seems that equality is what some people – usually those on the political left – deem it to be, and everyone else can, well, go pound sand.

And so I say, equality for everyone? Not quite.

Joe Messina is host of The Real Side (TheRealSide.com), a nationally syndicated talk show that runs on AM-1220 KHTS radio and SCVTV [here]. He is also an elected member of the Hart School Board. His commentary normally publishes Mondays.

Comment On This Story

COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

16 Comments

Brandyn LaFon says:

Monday, Jun 10, 2013 at

The United States was founded upon SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. What we see is, societies with state church’s – the population becomes disinterested in it. In the United States religion is a business because it is deemed private enterprise. These institutions are free to advertise their nonsensical and anti-human ideas as much as they can.

There is little to no psychological distinctions between men and women. So what is your main point in this article? Argue FOR the oppression of women and same sex couples? It’s possible you are projecting some closet feelings here.

You should probably agree to give people their freaking rights instead of using a fallacy as an excuse to express your anger, confusion, and overall incompetent intuition of yourself and of human beings.

Reply
- EJody says:
  
  Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
  
  Brandyn, I just don’t know where to start with your misinformation. Your remarks are emblematic of the Left saying whatever they want to further their agenda without bothering to either check the facts, or not caring they they are misrepresenting them.
  
  Please show me where the U.S. was founded on the “separation of church and state”– and what that actually means. Since you clearly don’t know, I will tell you (and other readers): The term is nowhere in our Constitution or Declaration of Independence (or Federalist Papers), and it only showed up quarter-century later when Thomas Jefferson referred to it in a letter to a group of Baptists– and the concept was designed to protect RELIGION from government intrusion– not the other way around. (And what part of “PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF” in the First Amendment do you not understand? : “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” )
  
  And I guess the whole “In God We Trust” thing is a myth?
  
  I don’t know what religions you are referring to as “anti-human”, but I can guess. You’ve had unpleasant experiences with some people in some religion(s) but I know you’ve not given it a fair shake. I see this every day. But if you’re going to call out God for being “anti-human” then I want DATA, not shouting. Let’s deal in facts and reality and not hate.
  
  And you TRULY believe there are little to no psychological differences between men and women?! What planet have YOU been living on? It did not require my graduate work in psychology/counseling (at a secular state university) to immediately recognize the VAST differences in the psychological makeup between men and women. Where do you GET this stuff?? Tens of thousands of peer-reviewed studies over many decades delineate these differences, and reasons for them.
  
  And try to re-read this article with your bias-glasses removed. Where is he suggesting oppression for ANYONE?
  
  Sorry– you don’t get to make up you own facts here. Not everyone is a low-information voter who believes anything that is shouted loud enough and long enough. I challenge you to become a critical thinker and stop letting emotions drive your worldview.
  
  Yes, we want our freaking rights. I want our government to stop telling me how I have to live my life: that I cannot follow my God and my scripture’s teachings on what is good and evil– I have to obey what homosexual activists say it is and embrace that; that I cannot follow what my scriptures and my God teach is good and evil regarding future involvement the Boy Scouts(I am and Eagle Scout) because they were bullied by homosexual activists filled with lies and misinformation; that I cannot follow what my scriptures and my God teach is good and evil regarding killing unborn children– I have to obey and embrace what pro-abortion rights people say it is; that I cannot make my own choices for healthcare– I have to obey what the government says is right for me and THEY will decide what is best for me when I am ill or dying; that I cannot have a free press who can say whatever they want without having the government threaten them and invade their privacy, trampling the 1st and 4th Amendments; that I cannot have freedom to associate with anyone I please without having the government through the IRS punish me for supporting agendas they dislike, trampling the 1st and 4th amendments; that I am constantly having my income increasingly “redistributed” to others who are choosing not to work; that we are constantly LIED to by people we elected and trusted to lead us, with NO ONE in their party having guts to hold them accountable (if there are any moral and ethical people in the Left) … yeah, WE WANT OUR FREAKING RIGHTS!!
  
  Reply
  - Greyling says:
    
    Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
    
    What you want is a theocracy. You described it perfectly in your comment.
    
    Denying the reality of how the United States was actually founded is very Christian Reconstructionist.
    
    And very theocratic.
    
    You know who else is theocratic? The Taliban. Al Queda. Saudi Arabia. Pakistan.
    
    They would just love you.
    
    Reply
  - Kevin says:
    
    Saturday, Jun 29, 2013 at
    
    Yes, In God We Trust…though your God, or at least the way you think you know God may differ from others:
    
    Feisal Abdul Rauf, a Muslim imam writes that the phrase “In God we trust” resonates with Islamic teaching, offering two verses from the Qur’an: “Our Lord, we have indeed heard a Crier calling to faith, saying ‘Trust in your Lord, so we have trusted…” (Quran 3:193) or “[The messenger and the believers] trust in God, in His Angels, His Scriptures, His Books and His Messengers…” (Quran 2:285).[24] Similarly, Melkote Ramaswamy, an Hindu American scholar, writes that the presence of the phrase “In God we trust” on American currency is a reminder that “there is God everywhere, whether we are conscious or not.”
    
    Reply
    - Brandyn LaFon says:
      
      Sunday, Jul 28, 2013 at
      
      It’s not American currency. It’s the Federal Reserves currency, a private central bank. Question your confirmation bias’, please.
      
      Reply
- Kevin says:
  
  Saturday, Jun 29, 2013 at
  
  With regard to separation of Church and State:
  
  Given the wide diversity of opinion on Christian theological matters in the newly independent American States, the Constitutional Convention believed a government sanctioned (established) religion would disrupt rather than bind the newly formed union together. George Washington wrote a letter in 1790 to the country’s first Jewish congregation, the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island to state:
  “Allowing rights and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it were by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.[12]
  There were also opponents to the support of any established church even at the state level. In 1773, Isaac Backus, a prominent Baptist minister in New England, observed that when “church and state are separate, the effects are happy, and they do not at all interfere with each other: but where they have been confounded together, no tongue nor pen can fully describe the mischiefs that have ensued.” Thomas Jefferson’s influential Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was enacted in 1786, five years before the Bill of Rights.
  
  Reply
Greyling says:

Monday, Jun 10, 2013 at

Oh noes! SCVTV has been hacked by a Rush Limbaugh/Glenn Beck/Pat Robertson warped, hate-filled, racist, homophobic, misogynistic bigot who claims to be just like Jesus!

It’s like Talibangelical Tourettes.

Fact-checking the anti-Muslim rant alone is enough to alert the management of this serious offense: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/holocaust.asp

Reply
- EJody says:
  
  Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
  
  Please… no remarks or editorials from anyone unless you fully support the extreme Left agenda. We MUST stop others from presenting their views, especially if it might require one of us to be intellectually honest. THAT CAN RUIN THE LEFT! IT MUST BE STOPPED!
  
  Reply
  - Greyling says:
    
    Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
    
    Criticism is not censorship. Criticism is an essential part of freedom of speech.
    
    Questioning and debate are not censorship.
    
    Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. They are NOT entitled to their own facts.
    
    Hyperbolic fear-mongering Limbaugh/Beck/Robertson style is not factual, is dangerous, and should be discouraged. There is nothing real about it. It serves no purpose but to push emotional buttons in fearful people to get them to toe the party line.
    
    If you resent criticism this much, Ejody, maybe you need to rethink what you are doing and supporting that invites this criticism.
    
    Reply
nancy g says:

Monday, Jun 10, 2013 at

Your info about British schools eliminating teaching about the Holocaust is erroneous. Make sure your examples are correct before using them.

Reply
Greyling says:

Monday, Jun 10, 2013 at

This Joe Messina is a “Christian” Reconstructionist, a cult whose goal is to do away with democracy and replace it with biblical law in an authoritarian theocracy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/12/christian-fundamentalism-ron-paul-homeschooling

And the SCVTV endorses this anti-American agenda.

Reply
- Brandyn LaFon says:
  
  Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
  
  What democracy? ;) lol
  
  Reply
- Ejody says:
  
  Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
  
  Please show where Mr. Messina is wanting a theocracy. And where SCVTV endorses this.
  
  No free speech allowed unless you are on the Left.
  
  Reply
  - Greyling says:
    
    Tuesday, Jun 11, 2013 at
    
    Criticism is not censorship.
    
    No one has prevented you or Joe Messina from expressing yourselves freely.
    
    Read what Messina advocates in everything he says and does, including this column. And it is in perfect alignment with Christian Reconstructionism.
    
    The SCVTV publishing Messina’s commentaries, and giving him a weekly column to espouse his reconstructionist views, is an endorsement.
    
    Reply
Kevin says:

Thursday, Jun 13, 2013 at

Why would SCV News even publish this crap! This publication should stick more to balanced stories and get more in tune with its community. Obviously, SCV News has an “agenda.”

Reply
- SCVNews.com says:
  
  Thursday, Jun 13, 2013 at
  
  We have 2 weekly Republican columnists and 2 weekly Democratic columnists. We don’t care what they say, as long as they don’t get us sued.
  
  Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Opinion Section Policy

All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.

Bill Miranda | Santa Clarita Arts, a Journey Through Creativity

Thursday, Sep 19, 2024

As my wife, Virginia, and I stroll through our magnificent city, we admire the beautiful paseos and the expansive open spaces, but what really catches our eye, is the diverse works of art at every turn.

Mayor Cameron Smyth | Parenting for Prevention, Building a Drug-Free Future

Friday, Sep 13, 2024

As a father of three, I understand firsthand the importance of guiding our children through open communication and keeping them engaged in extracurricular activities and sports to foster their growth.

Ken Striplin | The Green Revolution in Santa Clarita’s Energy Practices

Thursday, Sep 12, 2024

You may have noticed that things look a little different around our city. Maybe you noticed the motion sensor lights at our parks, or the solar panels being installed in city parking lots.

Scott Wilk | Stressing the Critical Need For Wildfire Preparedness

Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024

California State Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) is urging residents to prepare an emergency evacuation plan as the Line Fire, Bridge Fire and several other wildfires continue to pose a serious threat to High Desert and foothill communities.

Teresa Todd | The Value of Dialogue

Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024

As we approach the November 2024 elections, the importance of informed voting cannot be overstated. The choices we make at the ballot box will shape the future of our city, state and nation. Yet, in an era where soundbites often substitute for substantive discussion, how can voters truly grasp the complexities of the issues at hand?

Kathryn Barger | Do Your Part to Prevent Wildfires

Friday, Sep 6, 2024

As scorching triple-digit temperatures engulf Los Angeles County throughout the weekend and excessive heat warnings have been issued for many communities in Los Angeles County’s Fifth District, I urge residents to do their part to lessen the threat of wildfires.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com


COC Receives $300,000 NASA Grant to Expand Student Access to STEM Fields The College of the Canyons Aerospace and Science Team has received a $300,000 grant from NASA’s Mentoring and Opportunities in STEM with Academic Institutions for Community Success program.	Oct. 5: 5K Purple Walk Dogs Against Domestic Violence Bring along a furry friend to the Santa Clarita Child & Family Center's Purple Walk Domestic Violence Awareness 5K on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 8-11 a.m. at the Center’s main facility 21545 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.	Sept. 27-29: Braddon Mendelson to Present ‘Provenance’ at The MAIN Written and directed by Braddon Mendelson, produced by Heather Mendelson, and co-produced by Olive Branch Theatricals and Noisivision Studios, "Provenance" will take stage at the The MAIN, 24266 Main Street, Santa Clarita, CA 91321, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 27-29.	TMU Women’s Volleyball Opens Conference Play with Road Win The Master's women's volleyball team opened Great Southwest Athletic Conference play on the road in Prescott, Ariz. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, defeating the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles in straight sets 28-26, 25-22, 25-18.	Kitabatake Medals, Canyons Women Take Fourth at Sterling Hills Golf Club College of the Canyons freshman Sahya Kitabatake shot a two-under-par round of 70 to tie for medalist honors while helping the Cougars place fourth at the Western State Conference tournament at Sterling Hills Golf Club in Camarillo on Monday, Sept. 16.	Sept. 26: Community Invited to David March Park Expansion Groundbreaking One of the city of Santa Clarita community’s most cherished parks, David March Park is set to expand, Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m., 28310 North Via Joyce Drive, Santa Clarita, CA 91350 with a groundbreaking ceremony.
California Awards $278,870 in Funding to SRD Straightening Reins SRD Straightening Reigns, a therapeutic organization offering equine assisted psychotherapy, has been awarded $278,870 from the California State budget to improve mental health services.	COC Board of Trustees Appoints Carlos Guerrero to Area 5 Seat The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees appointed Carlos Guerrero to fill the board seat in Area 5, effective immediately, at its special Wednesday, Sept. 18 meeting.	Two Calartians Win 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards California Institute of the Arts alums Alyssa Dressman Lehner and Clara Plestis captured Emmy Awards at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.	Sept. 26-27: Valencia High Choir Presents Fall Concert ‘Broadway, Movies & Media’ Valencia High School's Choir will hold a fall concert, "Broadway, Movies & Media" at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. at the Saugus High School Theatre, 21900 Centurion Way, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.	Bill Miranda \| Santa Clarita Arts, a Journey Through Creativity As my wife, Virginia, and I stroll through our magnificent city, we admire the beautiful paseos and the expansive open spaces, but what really catches our eye, is the diverse works of art at every turn.	CDPH: Stay Up to Date on Vaccines The California Department of Public Health is encouraging all Californians to get vaccinated this season to protect themselves and loved ones from respiratory viruses.
Sept. 30: Public Libraries to Host Silent Book Auctions The Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library in collaboration with Santa Clarita Valley Libraries will have a silent Book Auction beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, through 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7.	Today in SCV History (Sept. 19) 1863 - Gen. Edward F. Beale loans money to A.A. Hudson and Oliver P. Robbins to erect toll house in Newhall Pass [story]	Joint Assistance Centers Open for Residents Impacted by Bridge, Line Fires The Counties of Los Angeles and San Bernardino today announced the opening of multiple joint Local Assistance Centers to assist residents impacted by the Bridge and Line Fires.	Valencia Gynecology Assoc. Joins Henry Mayo Network Valencia Gynecology Associates, owned by longtime Santa Clarita Valley OB-GYN physician Don Nishiguchi, MD, has joined the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital network.	Sept. 21: JCI Invites All Veterans to Upcoming Resource Fair JCI Santa Clarita is proud to announce the upcoming Veteran’s Resource Fair, scheduled to take place on Sept. 21 at William S. Hart Park.	Sept. 21: All Valley Showcase Comes to Valencia High A "friendies" field tournament is being hosted by the Saugus Instrumental Music program, with support from Valencia High, later this month.
Dec. 7: CSUN Owned 88.5-FM The SoCal Sound Announces “Year End Bash” Lineup featuring Ben Gibbard Public, member-supported 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound, Southern California’s leading Triple-A (adult album alternative) format radio station has announced the lineup for its inaugural “Year-End Bash” taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7.	TMU Women Win, Men Place Second at XC Invitational The Master's University cross-country teams continued their successful 2024 campaigns with strong finishes at the BIOLA Invitational on Friday, Sept. 13 at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton, Calif.	LASD Announces New Policy on Law Enforcement Gangs Sheriff’s Department Announces New Law Enforcement Gang Policy	CSUN Student Research Journal Celebrates 28 Years of Inspiring Scientific Imagination The biology department at California State University, Northridge has stayed committed to promoting STEM research carried out by K-12 students and teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District.	SCVEDC Offers Virtual Business Tours of the Santa Clarita Valley Did you know the SCVEDC has an interactive, online tool that provides themed virtual tours of the amazing features the community has to offer?	CalArts Alum Tim Burton Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame California Institute of the Arts alum and visionary filmmaker Tim Burton (Film/Video 1979) was honored with the 2,788th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.