Comments | ampelodes: And another election night over...

ampelodes

And another election night over...

Nov 05, 2008 19:06

...and we sorta kinda won! The battle of the red state-blue state has finally come to an end and for the first time in my life I voted for a winning presidential candidate (if you don't count Gore that is, but I'm not going to go there). Florida, that pathetic excuse for a fountain of youth, took eight years to redeem itself, but alas. And Ohio ( Read more... )

Comments 4

epeolatry November 6 2008, 15:00:27 UTC

I don't feel comfortable blaming voters of color for prop 8. I feel more comfortable blaming gay rights groups that organize white, middle class gay and lesbian people only, rather that truly reaching out to and including b/t and people of color. my friends in california believe that they couldn't contend w/ the money that the mormon church was able to sink into their YES on 8 campaign, and while it's true that 70% of the black voters voted yes, they made up less than 10% of the people who voted on it.

if i can find that data again, i'll send it along...

ampelodes November 8 2008, 00:52:38 UTC

Perhaps my post was not clear...I am in no way BLAMING voters of color for the passing of Prop 8. What I am doing is questioning the habitus (thanks Bourdeiu) that led them to vote for the measure. It brings into question how we approach our movement for equality and where we put an emphasis culturally. If we are to win future elections and the overall battle for equality, then we must realize that there is a wall that exists between how a particular demographic group regards our civil rights and their own civil rights. What allows the "us" and "them" paradigm to hold weight in their own cultural upbring? How do we adequately frame the question to bring this issue to light, and how do we work to overcome it? These questions are the intention of my post. And I contend that they are legitimate and necessary questions concerning touchy subjects, but nonetheless, must be asked.

epeolatry November 8 2008, 06:02:14 UTC

interesting read: http://bias-cut.livejournal.com/610141.html

ampelodes November 9 2008, 20:15:21 UTC

Having read the post you recommended, I recognize the point that you are arguing for, and I do agree with you. Yes white folks in Arkansas and Arizonia absolutely are responsible for the passage of anti-gay initiatives. The question that I am posing is not one of race though. It is one of culture. It doesn't take much to understand why Arkansas would vote against gay couples adopting, given they are a predominantly uneducated (only 16% have any post-high school education) population with a high percentage of individuals who desribe themselves as evangelists. But California is a complete different story and one that I don't think your blogger is taking into account. The election in California was not to prohibit something from occurring, instead it stripped rights from people who already had them ( ... )