dave

If I've ever seen flawed reasoning, that's it. Yes, because it's true of someone else, it must be true of me. Of course. Just like the black women that only date white men because they "hate niggers". I must also be a racist, because if some black people don't like black people, how can I like black people?

I'm not saying "some of my best friends". I'm saying one of my very closest friends. I'm not trying to hide behind some stupid cliché. I'm using it as an example - if I harbor strong resentment against homosexuals (as evidenced by my usage of the word "fag"), how does one explain my being good friends with one? And I'm not talking some cheap undervalued "good friends" BS that kids use all the time. I'm talking "you've been an integral part of my life for over six years and I love you and I'd die for you and if you ever need me to come pick you up at 3 in the morning because you're locked out of your car, well, it might be a 4 hour drive but I'll be there" good friends.

The truth is, I seriously don't see sexuality when I look at a person. I don't see color. I don't care. It's not at the bottom of my list of "things that matter in a person" - it's not even on the list. I don't give a shit! I don't care if you're fat, ugly, pale, brown, gay, short, disabled... I just don't care. All I'm into as far as friends go is their mind. I don't see the body as a part of a person - I see it as a tool for moving the brain around and protecting it and getting things done. Why? I dunno. Probably because I've been overweight most of my life and I've come to realize, through people not liking me because I'm a pudgy bastard, that the body doesn't really matter. Truly does not matter. It's the mind that counts. Obviously I am physically attracted to some things and not to others, but in platonic relationships, physicality is not a factor. I've seen your pictures, Maggie. I think you're ugly. Guess what? I don't give a shit! I don't care that you used to be a man and now you're not. It simply does not matter to me, and it doesn't affect my opinion of you. I wouldn't like you more if you were a hot 30-something housewife and I don't like you less 'cause you're not. Your mind is all that I am interested in. I like you at times and I dislike you at others, and any feelings I have about you are a direct result of what you say, not what you look like or who you fuck. The same is true of everyone else. My sister needs to lose some weight. So does Andrea. I don't care. I just don't care.

I'm not sure if I can make it any more clear for you. You are simply not qualified to judge whether or not a person's color or sexuality matter to me. I am quick to admit my own flaws and have been very introspective my entire life - all of my friends will tell you this. I am not perfect and I do not have all the answers, but I have spent more time with myself than you have and, contrary to what Nic might tell you, I know myself better than you do. I know what matters to me in other people and I know what doesn't. Wanna know what I hate? Nutball religious wackos. Yeah. I'm guilty as charged for giving a shit about a person's religion, but I couldn't give a fuck less about sexuality or race. And no matter what you say, dem's the facts.

[ Edit - added something I thought I had typed but obviously didn't. ]