Sexism

Well, I gotta tell ya, I'm pretty pissed off at the moment. After reading this piece, I've found myself pretty miffed regaring our species' overall views on sex. In this piece, Democrats are accusing Elizabeth Edwards of being equally complicit in the "sin" of adultery committed by husband John.

Can we please visit this subject in an open-minded manner? Forget for a moment about the idea that this is being used to cover-up current political corruption. Forget for a moment about the idea that it's being used to overlook the sins of Obama and Biden. Let's take this apart and look at the crux of the issue: Human sexuality.

More than half of all marriages end in divorce in this country, many due to the very same "act of sin" committed by John Edwards. That's part one of the sexism issue. It's (eventually) forgivable when We The People engage in the wild thing with someone other than our partner. It's unforgivable if one is a public figure. Please. Can we get past the child-like antics?

Part two: When men commit this act of "sin", they're considered pigs. However, when woman commit this very same act, all sorts of excuses are offered up. "Oh, her husband must have been a jerk/abusive/emotionally and sexually absent..." Fill in the blank. While there is certainly some truth in stereotype (or it wouldn't exist to begin with), stereo-typing like this never offers up the full picture.

You know what all of this judgment is really about? It comes down to our own failed acknowledgement of our inner-most thoughts about sex. We're sexual beings. Men and women both. While single men are more applauded for their sexual conquests and single women are instead labeled as sluts, sexual energy doesn't carry a gender with it. It is HUMAN CREATED opinions that do this.

Sex is beautiful when it's pure and surrounded with love. It's surrendering to All That Is, a letting go act of pure trust. I read the most beautiful passage about sex in one of the Conversation's With God books (book 1, I believe). It talked about what happens when two people meet and there's that chemistry, that attraction that both feel. You desire to know that person, be close with them. If you don't block this energy, it only builds until the two connect in an estatic union of celebration. Ok, I am doing this a great injustice with my own paraphrasing, but trust me, it is beautiful. And no, I am not advocating a free-for-all or wild orgie. I'm talking about pure sexual energy and love and respect. We need to be past our human control dramas and issues before we could ever engage in such behavior (more about that in a bit).

Unfortunately, religions and governments and schools and other parts of the System have completely removed the beauty out of sex and instead pulled a Nancy Reagan by offering up the "JUST SAY NO" slogan to all who aren't married. And heterosexual. Add in Hollywood and other media outlets who have taken the beauty and purity out of this act and made it about power and control. And need I even mention the porn industry, who has still utterly failed at showing women and men both as beautiful beings, completely failing generations of primarily young boys and young men into embracing the act of sex being about both love and lust, eroticism and beauty and ultimately, RESPECT. This doesn't even mention the fact that 99% of their advertising shows naked women on their magazine and dvd covers instead of men or both.

Monogamy is hard, if not rather silly. Find me one person who has not had the desire to have sex with someone else outside of his/her partner and I will call that person naive. I once read something interesting, about past civilizations that weren't monogomous. While people did partner up, engaging in the act of sex was something that was not considered a "sin" if done with someone other than your partner. The piece went on to say that it takes a very enlightened being to embrace such a concept, one who does not have the usual insecurities of jealousy and control and underlying sense of lack of worth. I certainly don't see that as a possibility today, although considering the number of people who do "cheat" on their partners, I would say the desire is certainly there. And as such, it's worth exploring. Without judgment. Without blame. Without child-like antics and tantrums. Instead, it's time to visit this subject in a loving, open manner. Afterall, we continue to have these examples as the "Edwards Affair" shoved into our faces as a society. Instead of taking sides and engaging in shouting matches, let's use it as a chance to explore our own sexuality, both as individuals and as a society.