Kristen Perry, plaintiff in the current Prop 8 case in California, has this to say about why she is part of the lawsuit: "The state isn't letting me feel happy."

I find this comment to be ridiculous. Since when is anyone's happiness dependent on 'the state'? The last time I checked, we are in charge of our own happiness. Happiness is a choice that we make for ourselves that is not dependent upon our circumstances nor on where we live. If Ms. Perry is not happy living in California, it is hardly the fault of the state that she does not feel happy. She should try looking into the nearest mirror to find out who is keeping her from feeling happy. She and she alone is the only one who is doing that. While the government, local/state/federal, is in charge of (too) many things in our lives, our feelings are not one of them.

But this is the tactic that many use to manipulate others into either doing what they want or to support their side of an issue. They insist that you are in charge of their feelings, that somehow you have 'made' them feel a particular thing (usually something negative). No one can 'make' us feel anything. People can say or do things that elicit certain emotional responses from us, but whether or not we actually 'feel' those responses and act upon them are up to us. It is our choice.

True, there are some chemical imbalances in the brain, like depression or bipolar, that can screw with our thinking, even making it impossible for us to make rational choices, but with treatment, our thinking can be straightened out. I doubt that Ms. Perry is struggling with either of those.

Too many people these days rely on tugging on heart strings to try to get people to agree with their points of view. 'How could you support ________ when it will cause heartache for ______?' 'Don't you care about the ________?' If you do not support the point of view presented then you are accused of being heartless or labeled as whatever the negative name of the day is (racist, homophobe, sexist, anti-children, anti-animal, anti-planet, whatever).

But because so many people, especially in courts, fall into the 'feelings' trap, we are faced with political correctness that prevents logic and rational thought from even being expressed. Even when voters, who in our Republic are supposed to have the final say, speak that something should be, the 'feelings' crowd will find a way to make a stink and too many times they get their way. So instead of the majority rules, the minority whines its way to getting what it wants. That is so very wrong.

I wish that more people would stand up to people who try to use "The state isn't letting me feel happy" and tell them they need to grow up. I wish that parents would teach their children that to try such a tactic is not acceptable and should never be used.

If you have a real objection to anything in this world, use logic and rational thought to make a case for it. State facts, not emotions. Telling 'how does that make you feel?' is definitely appropriate in a therapy situation. It is not an appropriate reason for the will of the voters to be overturned.