I had an interesting talk last week with Hal (as Charlie was walking and running us), we had an interesting discussion about Carrie Prejean--the Miss California who was asked her opinion of gay marriage during the Miss USA pageant.

Here is her response: 

"Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other.  We live in a land where you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and ... you know what, in my country and in my family, I think that I believe a marriage should be between a man and a woman--no offense to anybody out there--but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be, between a man and a woman.  Thank you.'

Since that answer, Carrie Prejean's fame has grown as she's been vilified by gay activists and sainted by the religious (and irreligious) right.  I agree with Hal that Carrie had a right to her opinion and to freely express her opinion on that stage.

Soon after she gave her answer, Celebrity blogger  and pageant judge, Perez Hilton went on camera and said she lost the title of Miss USA not because of her controversial answer but because she was a "dumb b*tch and a divisive personality rather than an uniting personality.  He also said, rather hubristically, that he was "the...moment" of the pageant.  Get over yourself, girlfriend.

Perez Hilton, by the way, is equally entitled to his opinion and to the free speech protections that Carrie Prejean holds so dear in every interview since.

I quibble with Perez Hilton's vlog about the answer and Carrie Prejean because he resorted to personal attacks rather than reasoned argument for the ways in which he took issue with Prejean's answer.

In a similar way, I have issues with Carrie Prejean's answer.  First she states, inaccurately, that it's great to live in a country where people can "choose" same sex marriage.  Very few people in very select parts of the country can make that choice.  So she overstates her initial attempt at an appeasement answer.

Then she stops herself and reverses course.  And I especially note the words, "in my country" that marriage should be between a man and a woman.  This is her genunine opinion and she has the right to voice it.  However, it sends chills up my spine because that's exactly the point...it's not just Carrie Prejean's country, it's my country and the country of my gay friends and relatives.

Various defenders have pointed out that she was representing California because the "majority" of Californian's voted for Proposition 8.  But they neglect to mention that it was a bare majority, not a landslide by any means.

In later interviews, a couple of other comments by Prejean really rankled me.  When asked her opinion of Perez, she said she would be "praying for him" and that he's obviously angry and hurt about something greater in his life.  And she knows this how?  She doesn't.  It's the typical "christian" answer that says see how pious I am, pitying this poor creature who is attacking me.

She also said instead of being politically correct, she chose to be biblically correct.  I'd love to sit down and talk with her about the 7 instances which could remotely be interpreted as being condemnations of homosexual activity.  And at the same time I wonder about a young woman who claims to adhere to biblical principals as a guide yet prior to this had stated, according to the LA Times, that her goal was to be a Victoria's Secret model and who surgically enhanced her bust size in order to do better in the contest.  While neither is directly addressed in the bible, there are more urgings of women to be modest in their dress than there are strictures supposedly against homosexual acts.

The lessons I hope we all can take away from this brouhaha are:

1.  People in the USA enjoy the right to free speech.

2.  If one disagrees with another's opinion, it's best to disagree with the opinion, form counterarguments, etc., than to attack the person (whether you do it by name calling as Hilton did or pseudo-piety as Prejean did).

3.  If you put yourself in the public eye, you'd best be better prepared to defend your opinion than saying "that's the way I was raised."  Otherwise, the arguments will keep on coming.

Such is my not so humble opinion.  Now off to yoga!

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