Comments on: The Power of Personal Beliefs http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/2009/04/23/the-power-of-personal-beliefs/ Thu, 17 May 2012 20:01:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Melanie Sklarz http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/2009/04/23/the-power-of-personal-beliefs/#comment-215 Melanie Sklarz Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:37:28 +0000 http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/blog/?p=91#comment-215 @Red Thanks for the clarification of the facts. Good point about presentation. @Candice It was refreshing to hear her honesty and conviction, even if it was unpopular. I believe Red is referring to benefits, tax breaks and legal rights. Am I right, Red? @Dorothy You are correct about the omission that was part of her answer. An important omission too! Thanks @Red Thanks for the clarification of the facts. Good point about presentation.

@Candice It was refreshing to hear her honesty and conviction, even if it was unpopular. I believe Red is referring to benefits, tax breaks and legal rights. Am I right, Red?

@Dorothy You are correct about the omission that was part of her answer. An important omission too! Thanks

]]> By: Dorothy Greenberger http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/2009/04/23/the-power-of-personal-beliefs/#comment-214 Dorothy Greenberger Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:13:33 +0000 http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/blog/?p=91#comment-214 The quote in the article left out the beginning of her statement. At first she said something to the effect that it is a free country and people are free to make choices. Then she went on to state her opionion. I don't think it lacked respect as much as she lacked political savvy. She should have held her opinion for a more apt audience and forum. The quote in the article left out the beginning of her statement. At first she said something to the effect that it is a free country and people are free to make choices. Then she went on to state her opionion. I don’t think it lacked respect as much as she lacked political savvy. She should have held her opinion for a more apt audience and forum.

]]> By: Candice http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/2009/04/23/the-power-of-personal-beliefs/#comment-213 Candice Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:48:36 +0000 http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/blog/?p=91#comment-213 I thought Ms. Prejean's answer was shocking only because it's so unusual for someone to voice an opinion that's likely to be unpopular with a lot of people hearing it. I respected her for not compromising her principles, even though I disagreed with her. I don't know enough about the legalities of same sex vs opposite sex unions to give any kind of opinion, but I'd be interested to learn what are the 1,000 federal benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy but that homosexual couples are denied. Thank you. I thought Ms. Prejean’s answer was shocking only because it’s so unusual for someone to voice an opinion that’s likely to be unpopular with a lot of people hearing it. I respected her for not compromising her principles, even though I disagreed with her.

I don’t know enough about the legalities of same sex vs opposite sex unions to give any kind of opinion, but I’d be interested to learn what are the 1,000 federal benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy but that homosexual couples are denied.

Thank you.

]]> By: Red Seven http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/2009/04/23/the-power-of-personal-beliefs/#comment-212 Red Seven Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:00:28 +0000 http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/blog/?p=91#comment-212 Assuming that her answer was a sincere representation of her beliefs (and we have no reason to believe otherwise), it did not lack respect. Unfortunately, it did lack coherence and accuracy. As the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation stated, the biggest problem with Ms. Prejean's statement was that it assumed that marriage equality in the US was already a reality. In truth, same-gender couples cannot marry in 46 states, and even where marriage is law, over 1,000 federal benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples do not apply to same-gender couples. Also, her response was clumsily worded; it's likely that she was nervous, and that's understandable. But if this answer was responsible for her losing the pageant, it was likely not because of its content, but because of its form. Assuming that her answer was a sincere representation of her beliefs (and we have no reason to believe otherwise), it did not lack respect. Unfortunately, it did lack coherence and accuracy. As the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation stated, the biggest problem with Ms. Prejean’s statement was that it assumed that marriage equality in the US was already a reality. In truth, same-gender couples cannot marry in 46 states, and even where marriage is law, over 1,000 federal benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples do not apply to same-gender couples. Also, her response was clumsily worded; it’s likely that she was nervous, and that’s understandable. But if this answer was responsible for her losing the pageant, it was likely not because of its content, but because of its form.

]]>