Here at Behind the Thrills, we love us some Theme Parks. No doubt about it. However, there is a great big world out there, and sometimes we need to take a step out of the parks and look at something else. Join us as we take a look outside of the world of theme parks and into the world of movies, music, television, hotels…pretty much anything else we happen to stumble across.
However whatever we look at will have some relation to the theme park world, granted not directly…but in a round about sort of way.
So join us now as we lift up the harnesses, put down our cup of Butterbeer and take a walk…Offsite.
This week’s Offsite Adventure:Pursuit of Happiness
It’s not very often we get political, no one really likes it when we do. They feel that we’re a theme park site, and we should stick to fun stuff and be an escape for them. Well my friends, unfortunately the world isn’t always happy bits of sunshine, and we are not theme park mascots. We do have opinions, sometimes strong ones on things, and while for the most part we keep them to ourselves, we do like to voice them from time to time. This is one of those times. We’re going to get slightly political, and chances are you won’t agree with what we have to say. At this time I invite you to navigate to another site. If you feel that strongly about it, I also urge you to stop paying attention to us. We don’t want you to go, but we’re not going to change our opinions, nor are we going to stop voicing them in the small doses that we do.
Still with me? Well, thanks for your understanding.
There have been some really nasty things happening to the world lately. There was a shooting of several people by a deranged gunman last week. Fingers were pointed, and people have laid blame on everything from bad parenting, to gun control, to video games and even the movies. Here’s the thing about that. The parents of this boy probably did the best they knew how to. As a parent you try your best to teach your children the right thing, and in the end it’s them who make the choices of what they do. This gunman, this monster, made a choice. Whether he’s insane or not remains to be seen. But we make choices on our own. If more people had guns…would this have happened as bad as it did? Who knows…maybe, maybe not. The guy was wearing riot gear, and bullet proof vest and helmet. Chances are, with a dark theater full of smoke…if more people had guns, it’s a pretty good chance that someone else would have gotten killed in the crossfire. What influence did the outside world have on this gunman? Who knows…it remains to be seen. He played violent video games, watched violent movies and hired the company of hookers. Many people have done this and haven’t gone into a theater on a shooting spree. My point is that this person made choices on his own right. He chose to get the guns, and do the horrible things he did. He chose it. No one else is to blame here but him. It doesn’t help that a few days before Rush Limbaugh made a call for bad things to happen to “brain dead liberals” who saw the film….but as much as I dislike Mr. Limbaugh, it wasn’t his fault either. He’s a blowhard ahole that just likes to hear himself talk.
The other thing that’s really gotten me steamed is the subject of Gay Marriage and Chick-Fil-A. The chicken company has been giving money to groups that support the “biblical” definition of marriage. This is a company that has very strong religious beliefs and family backgrounds. In response to this, the Jim Henson Company has decided to end their partnership with the company because they support Gay and Lesbian rights. The whole world is in an uproar one way or another. What does Chick Fil A expect? We live in a society where we are taught to be tolerant and accepting of everyone. Now when you say you aren’t, you expect everyone to be nice about it?
Then you have the Jim Henson Company…a company that has been influential to many families over the years. A company that has supported odd partnerships since the beginning! A pig and a frog getting married? You saw that and you didn’t see the metaphor for racial equality? What about a weirdo and a chicken? Yeah…I’m not touching that one….but you get the point. The company is known for supporting everyone, no matter who you are or what you practice.
And I tend to agree with it. Don’t talk to be about religion and the bible. I’ve grown up with it for years, and really don’t agree with it. I’m not gay, and I’m not religious. I do, however, believe that people are people….regardless of who they call god or who they have sex with. We are all people. Plain. Simple. Easy. People have the same basic civil rights…or they should. No one should face discrimination, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what is happening. People are being discriminated against. Whether you see it as right or wrong…that’s really none of your business. Whether you think the bible says it’s right or wrong…that’s none of your business either. Religion is a deeply personal thing…and if that person is really doing something that God doesn’t like,that person will have to deal with it in the end. Not you. You live your life how you see fit, and you let everyone else do what they feel is right. But regardless of what anyone says, discrimination is wrong. And we are dealing with a company that discriminates. The CEO has his rights to say what he wishes, just as I do. And as a consumer, I have a right to disagree with those opinions (just as you have the right to disagree with mine). And as a consumer, I have a right to choose not to support his company (just as you have the right to not support us). I’ve chosen to do just that. Again, that’s on me. Those are my personal beliefs, and they have nothing to do with you. See how amazing that is? We have a right to choose…and whether you think it’s right or wrong…it’s my choice. And I’ll leave it at that.
In the end, do what makes you happy, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. I firmly believe that everyone has the right to try and be happy, despite what the rest of the world says. For me, happiness is going to theme parks, and making sure that my family is happy. At the end of my day, if all of those things are going well, then I’m the luckiest person in the world. Do what makes you happy. Be with the people that make you happiest, despite what the world says. Just be Excellent to Each Other.
We hope you choose to continue your support of Behind the Thrills, even though we choose to voice our opinions. If you don’t, we’ll miss you and we’ll be right here if you change your mind 🙂
