(no subject)
"Let the record show that John McCain and Barack Obama are polar opposites on partial-birth abortion, parental notification of abortion, marriage protection on the ballot, homosexual indoctrination of schoolchildren, gay adoptions, gun-owner rights, activist judges, and raising taxes," said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families. [Source]
If only that were true, then Obama would be for gay marriage and adoption. But he's not. He's only for civil unions because his party has decided that's how they can best be middle of the road.
But what if we weren't talking about gay people? What if we were talking about black people? What if they were saying that black people shouldn't be allowed to do something that should be fundamentally allowed to every person?
Oh wait.
That happened, didn't it? And don't we celebrate the fact that we, as a country, realised that separate but equal not only doesn't work, but isn't fair or legal? And what is a civil union but another generation's coloured elementary school? Don't say we've progressed. It's the 1950's still, but the outcasts aren't decided by the colour of their skin, but who they love.
Don't ask, don't tell. Pretend you're white and everything will be okay. Pretend you're straight. It's the same thing. It's segregation. That's a scary word, isn't it? But you're telling me that I am a lesser citizen, you're telling me that I can't get married, I can't adopt a child, I can't serve in the military because of something I can't control any more than I can control the colour of my skin. You're telling me I can sit at the back of the bus if I must ride the bus with you. You're telling me that I should be happy with my coloured school, because it's just as good as the white school and at least I'm getting a school. Shouldn't I be grateful for that school?
No. I'm not.
The law says I don't have to be happy with the coloured school. The law says you can't tell me I can't go to the white school. And yet two states tell me that I can get married. Two states tell me I don't have to go to the coloured school. I don't have to settle for a civil union. Two states are willing to stand up for my rights. Some states tell me they'll build me a nice coloured school, that's just as good as the white school, except that it's not. Some states tell me I don't need an education at all. Those states probably want to tell me that I'm lucky I'm allowed to live in their state, that I'm not arrested for what I do. But the federal law tells me separate but equal is not allowed. But they're fighting hard to make the federal law says, instead, that not only can't I have that coloured school, I can't have school at all.
What if we phrased it that way?
What would Obama say then?
[These ideas are not solely my own, but the results of a wonderful conversation with Alicia.]
If only that were true, then Obama would be for gay marriage and adoption. But he's not. He's only for civil unions because his party has decided that's how they can best be middle of the road.
But what if we weren't talking about gay people? What if we were talking about black people? What if they were saying that black people shouldn't be allowed to do something that should be fundamentally allowed to every person?
Oh wait.
That happened, didn't it? And don't we celebrate the fact that we, as a country, realised that separate but equal not only doesn't work, but isn't fair or legal? And what is a civil union but another generation's coloured elementary school? Don't say we've progressed. It's the 1950's still, but the outcasts aren't decided by the colour of their skin, but who they love.
Don't ask, don't tell. Pretend you're white and everything will be okay. Pretend you're straight. It's the same thing. It's segregation. That's a scary word, isn't it? But you're telling me that I am a lesser citizen, you're telling me that I can't get married, I can't adopt a child, I can't serve in the military because of something I can't control any more than I can control the colour of my skin. You're telling me I can sit at the back of the bus if I must ride the bus with you. You're telling me that I should be happy with my coloured school, because it's just as good as the white school and at least I'm getting a school. Shouldn't I be grateful for that school?
No. I'm not.
The law says I don't have to be happy with the coloured school. The law says you can't tell me I can't go to the white school. And yet two states tell me that I can get married. Two states tell me I don't have to go to the coloured school. I don't have to settle for a civil union. Two states are willing to stand up for my rights. Some states tell me they'll build me a nice coloured school, that's just as good as the white school, except that it's not. Some states tell me I don't need an education at all. Those states probably want to tell me that I'm lucky I'm allowed to live in their state, that I'm not arrested for what I do. But the federal law tells me separate but equal is not allowed. But they're fighting hard to make the federal law says, instead, that not only can't I have that coloured school, I can't have school at all.
What if we phrased it that way?
What would Obama say then?
[These ideas are not solely my own, but the results of a wonderful conversation with Alicia.]