Hello, my name is Danielle. If you read my articles faithfully, you probably assume I sway to left-wing politics. Congratulations, you are absolutely correct! Though, I am not writing this article to persuade you into voting for one of the democratic nominees, nor am I writing this to disrespect or slander the any one party, group, or individual you support in any fashion, the purpose of this article is to give you insight on my stance and opinions as it affects me in my everyday life through conversation.

I Support Gay Rights

First off, I am a Jesus follower. Also, I do not choose the homosexual lifestyle. I support gay rights because I firmly believe in equality. For me, to live in a society that is always speaking of opportunity and prosperity, yet judging and ostracizing a group based on their sexual preference does not sit well with me nor will it ever sit well with me. Before you devise a counterargument, I know what the Bible and God says about sexual immorality. I also know what God says about casting judgment on others. If we continue to diminish the rights of homosexuals because they are sinning before God, then in the same way I believe we should diminish the rights of those who commit adultery, fornication, idolatry, lust, and other sins. Fair enough?

I Do Not Support Common Core

After interning at an elementary school for nine months during my senior year of high school, I can tell you first hand Common Core is as arduous as you have heard. You would think that in classroom full of fourth graders it would be a lively and appetent environment, sadly, that was not the case most of the time. Many times I went to my internship, it was more of a tense environment. The teacher was stressed, the students were stressed, and I was stressed just walking into the midst of it. It seemed like every other week I was there they were taking a standardized test on top of their weekly-scheduled tests. Teachers are now having to adapt to teaching based off the Common Core framework. In my opinion, I think Common Core interferes with a teacher's authentic pedagogy. Because of Common Core, many teachers are occasionally left to teach for test score success rates (which in some districts scores may affect their pay) rather than simply teaching in their own unique style.

I Support #BlackLivesMatter

Just to be clear, I agree with your #AllLivesMatter rebuttal. I believe every skin tone, nationality, and ethnicity matters. However, I can only speak from my experiences of being an African American in America. Contrary to what many believe, the movement is not a radical xenophobic movement--it is a "rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation." Like I previously stated, I firmly believe in equality. Black people are not portrayed the same as those who are in the majority. Specifically, young black men. Across the board, all young black men are misrepresented as being drug dealers, underground rappers, gang members, thugs, high school dropouts, rapists, and deadbeat dads because of predisposed stereotypes. I support this movement because it is a national empowerment for all shades of the African American race. We are here to take a stance against white privilege in America, and pave the way for other minority groups to get their equal representation, rights, and opportunities they deserve.

I Do Not Support Pro-Life

To be honest, I am a bit shaky about this issue. I understand the argument on both the pro-choice side and the pro-life side. I agree more with pro-choice because at the end of the day it is the choice of the pregnant female, not the government's choice. If anything, I believe pro-choice should mainly apply to the victims of rape. No female should be forced to have to suffer through pregnancy and giving birth to the child that may represent a traumatic event in their life. Yes it may seem like a selfish and heartless act to abort an embryo or fetus, but those feelings are what the female is obligated to endure with her decision, not any outsider.

These are a few of my stances that I am constantly having to defend through everyday conversation with others. I am not here to persuade you into agreeing with my ideas. These are just the opinions, stances, ideas, and thoughts that compose me. These are what make up Danielle Perry.