Friday, November 21, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
A Lot of Thought
I've been thinking a lot lately about the big election we had nearer the beginning of the month.
History. Honestly. Being. Made.
The good and the bad.
It amazes me that a nation that could so readily elect our first black president (and i use black rather than "african-american" because he does.) can also so easily vote to remove (take away, deny) rights from a single group of people. Astonishing and heart breaking.
If the issue had been directed at black americans, or latino americans or other groups, we would have all been appalled. The news would have been screaming about discrimination and hatred. Everyone would have found it laughable that there was any serious consideration to do "that" to "them"
But because it was directed at gay americans, we turn our heads, close our ears to the reality of what was done there on that November Tuesday in California.
What the hell?
It wasn't so very long ago that it was illegal for women to vote. It was illegal for blacks to vote too. It was illegal for blacks and whites to marry (among other racial pairings).
So why do we so easily accept it when a group chooses to REVOKE rights from citizens living in California (that I frankly believe should be nationwide, but I digress). They didn't just vote to add working to a state constitution.
They literally TOOK AWAY RIGHTS ALREADY GRANTED.
What the hell?
I don't care how you feel about gays, or gay marriage or marriage at all for that matter.
But I do care that as a nation we aren't up in arms when a group is targeted so blatantly to have rights removed. It's hatred, plain and simple.
Regardless of what people would have you believe, civil union is not the same thing as marriage. There are nowhere near the same rights, privileges or responsibilities between the two parties involved. It's a second class status at best, and pure discrimination at worst.
And if it's the term "marriage" as is applied in a religious context that has you worried, then change it. Not just for one group though, but for everyone.
Marriage is a blatant mingling of church and state. We use the term to define two entirely different things. The religious idea of marriage and the civil or legal idea. Find another word if you want, but apply it to all citizens, gay or straight. People will call it what they want anyway, but frankly, if you need to go to the state (government) to get a license, then it's not a religious issue anymore. You don't need a religious ceremony to be married, but you DO need a government issued license along with some kind of public agreement to the joining.
Let's just do away with "marriage" as a legal term at all. For everyone. And those that worry about the religious aspect of whether or not gays should "marry" in the church can deal with it their own churches and synagogs or ashrams or temples or whatever you call where you go.
Then, we can let people that want to commit and have the responsibility and privileges thereof, do so.
No one would vote to have those rights women and other minorities have gotten be taken away. This is no different.
We aren't talking about whether or not you like that the Supreme Court of California decided that all it's citizens deserved the same civil rights. We aren't talking about whether or not you think that being gay is a choice or a sin or right or wrong.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVING RIGHTS ALREADY BESTOWED TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM.
WHAT
THE
HELL????
I have dear friends (family really) that voted with the liars and bigots. I don't think that they are that way, but I have to wonder what they were thinking. Did they buy into the lies? Did they just vote without thinking, because it didn't effect them personally (as far as they know)? I don't know, but I do know that I was shocked and saddened by how cavalierly they voted to take away the rights of others. I know this because I asked. Not a big deal to discriminate. I think that they'd be appalled with themselves if they thought about it without all the lies and emotional bullshit - but I project my own feelings on to them here. Maybe they really do believe that this shot at "them" isn't a shot at "us". I still am confused about it and working through it. To me, it's so damn clear. I suspect that my myopic view makes it hard to see what I can only think of as a ridiculously easy decision. I'm trying to understand though.
I guess that in a country that so easily gives up basic rights of personal freedom in exchange for a feeling of safety (see all the executive orders that were signed without so much as a ripple in the ether), it shouldn't be a surprise to me.
But dammit, it is.
What is the matter with us? Why do we take things so lightly as to not understand that what is ok to do to one group is ok to do to all groups. What we do to "them", we do to "us". Are we so complacent that we don't see what is happening?
I fear for us all.
I pray that our new leadership can figure out a way to make us all care again.
Care about the stuff the supposedly makes this country great.
Freedom of Speech (lost that with exec order)
Freedom of Assembly (lost that one too)
Freedom of Religion (not when one group is targeted using religion as a weapon of emotion)
Here's a list of all the executive orders issued by our current and thankfully lame duck president. Some are standard business things...some aren't, but all happen without any due process or checks/balances. Scary stuff, some of it.
What we do to one, we do to all, people. Wake up! Today's "them" is tomorrow's "us". We are, every one of us, a "them" to someone else.
Maybe, just maybe, this passage of discrimination in California has finally lit the fires under us that will make us truly a society that values diversity and holds onto the idea that we are all first class citizens of this nation.
We can hope.
I'd like to hear what you think...let me know, or I'll get all "sound and fury" about it all.
Just Thinking,
History. Honestly. Being. Made.
The good and the bad.
It amazes me that a nation that could so readily elect our first black president (and i use black rather than "african-american" because he does.) can also so easily vote to remove (take away, deny) rights from a single group of people. Astonishing and heart breaking.
If the issue had been directed at black americans, or latino americans or other groups, we would have all been appalled. The news would have been screaming about discrimination and hatred. Everyone would have found it laughable that there was any serious consideration to do "that" to "them"
But because it was directed at gay americans, we turn our heads, close our ears to the reality of what was done there on that November Tuesday in California.
What the hell?
It wasn't so very long ago that it was illegal for women to vote. It was illegal for blacks to vote too. It was illegal for blacks and whites to marry (among other racial pairings).
So why do we so easily accept it when a group chooses to REVOKE rights from citizens living in California (that I frankly believe should be nationwide, but I digress). They didn't just vote to add working to a state constitution.
They literally TOOK AWAY RIGHTS ALREADY GRANTED.
What the hell?
I don't care how you feel about gays, or gay marriage or marriage at all for that matter.
But I do care that as a nation we aren't up in arms when a group is targeted so blatantly to have rights removed. It's hatred, plain and simple.
Regardless of what people would have you believe, civil union is not the same thing as marriage. There are nowhere near the same rights, privileges or responsibilities between the two parties involved. It's a second class status at best, and pure discrimination at worst.
And if it's the term "marriage" as is applied in a religious context that has you worried, then change it. Not just for one group though, but for everyone.
Marriage is a blatant mingling of church and state. We use the term to define two entirely different things. The religious idea of marriage and the civil or legal idea. Find another word if you want, but apply it to all citizens, gay or straight. People will call it what they want anyway, but frankly, if you need to go to the state (government) to get a license, then it's not a religious issue anymore. You don't need a religious ceremony to be married, but you DO need a government issued license along with some kind of public agreement to the joining.
Let's just do away with "marriage" as a legal term at all. For everyone. And those that worry about the religious aspect of whether or not gays should "marry" in the church can deal with it their own churches and synagogs or ashrams or temples or whatever you call where you go.
Then, we can let people that want to commit and have the responsibility and privileges thereof, do so.
No one would vote to have those rights women and other minorities have gotten be taken away. This is no different.
We aren't talking about whether or not you like that the Supreme Court of California decided that all it's citizens deserved the same civil rights. We aren't talking about whether or not you think that being gay is a choice or a sin or right or wrong.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVING RIGHTS ALREADY BESTOWED TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM.
WHAT
THE
HELL????
I have dear friends (family really) that voted with the liars and bigots. I don't think that they are that way, but I have to wonder what they were thinking. Did they buy into the lies? Did they just vote without thinking, because it didn't effect them personally (as far as they know)? I don't know, but I do know that I was shocked and saddened by how cavalierly they voted to take away the rights of others. I know this because I asked. Not a big deal to discriminate. I think that they'd be appalled with themselves if they thought about it without all the lies and emotional bullshit - but I project my own feelings on to them here. Maybe they really do believe that this shot at "them" isn't a shot at "us". I still am confused about it and working through it. To me, it's so damn clear. I suspect that my myopic view makes it hard to see what I can only think of as a ridiculously easy decision. I'm trying to understand though.
I guess that in a country that so easily gives up basic rights of personal freedom in exchange for a feeling of safety (see all the executive orders that were signed without so much as a ripple in the ether), it shouldn't be a surprise to me.
But dammit, it is.
What is the matter with us? Why do we take things so lightly as to not understand that what is ok to do to one group is ok to do to all groups. What we do to "them", we do to "us". Are we so complacent that we don't see what is happening?
I fear for us all.
I pray that our new leadership can figure out a way to make us all care again.
Care about the stuff the supposedly makes this country great.
Freedom of Speech (lost that with exec order)
Freedom of Assembly (lost that one too)
Freedom of Religion (not when one group is targeted using religion as a weapon of emotion)
Here's a list of all the executive orders issued by our current and thankfully lame duck president. Some are standard business things...some aren't, but all happen without any due process or checks/balances. Scary stuff, some of it.
What we do to one, we do to all, people. Wake up! Today's "them" is tomorrow's "us". We are, every one of us, a "them" to someone else.
Maybe, just maybe, this passage of discrimination in California has finally lit the fires under us that will make us truly a society that values diversity and holds onto the idea that we are all first class citizens of this nation.
We can hope.
I'd like to hear what you think...let me know, or I'll get all "sound and fury" about it all.
Just Thinking,
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