Yes We Did!

[dawn_felagund]

As I posted about on Monday, I was not particularly nervous about President Obama's chances of reelection yesterday, as--popular vote aside--he seemed to have more than enough electoral votes. My true worry was Question 6, the Maryland ballot question that would extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. As I said Monday, this issue is one of the

Comments

[spiced_wine]

then the churches started mustering their hate, and it became contentious, but for the first time ever, they didn't win. They didn't win! We did! It was a triumph for all who believe in basic human dignity and equality. It was the first sign that all the senseless hatred against people for being born to love a certain way may yet end, not by forcing it to end through judicial and legislative decisions but because people stand up and say "This must stop. We can no longer stand for that kind of hatred on our watch."

It makes me so embarrassed to be a Christian when there is so much vileness and hatred in that religion. But thank goodness not every-one is like that, and you are right, people are standing up and saying this rancid and sickening hatred must STOP.

[dawn_felagund]

I think, if anything, the Maryland vote shows that the "average Christian" is not vile and hateful by any stretch but deeply values justice. I guarantee that the majority of people who voted yesterday in favor of Q6 identify as Christians; most U.S. citizens do. They either decided that their faith compels them to embrace all humans, or they decided that their faith has no bearing in how others can live their lives. I think it's important to note, too, that some churches have spoken out in favor of marriage equality. I remember marching in DC with my gay friends and passing an Episcopalian church, and the clergy lining up on the porch to wave at us as we passed. (Actually, these same friends were married by a Christian clergy member over 25 years ago, proof that some people of faith were way ahead of even the most progressive governments

[heartofoshun]

Donald Trump tried to rally the pitchfork-wielding masses against an Electoral College win while Obama was still behind in the popular vote (hastily deleting that when it turned out that, yeah, Obama won the popular vote too--and where were you in 2000, by the way, Mr. Trump??)

I missed that drama! OMG! Pitchforks and bad hair! Awful combination really!

Last night, Maryland joined Maine in becoming the first states to pass marriage equality based on popular support.

I share your enthusiasm of that one! It's a big step in the right direction.

I lived in Mexico where a groundbreaking election was stolen right in front of everyone's eyes! The computers crashed! (Yeah, right!) Everyone knew it was stolen and nobody did a thing except complain. Then there was the election here in 2000-the hanging and dimpled chads--ballots with clear intent to vote in a particular way are thrown out.

[dawn_felagund]

I missed that drama! OMG! Pitchforks and bad hair!

Well, since everything is permanent on the Internet ...
http://mashable.com/2012/11/06/trump-reacts-to-election/

After Obama won the popular vote--which didn't take long since, as I recall, when Trump indulged in his rant, California polls hadn't even closed yet--and Trump deleted his idiocy, I said that maybe, instead of eating his hat, he should eat his rug. Except, sadly, I know that's actually not a rug but his real hair. How a person can have that much money and that bad of hair really just baffles me.

Then there was the election here in 2000That was my first election as a voter. I remember I spent the night over Bobby's parents' house, and he and I sat up half the night on his futon, watching election coverage. It was a formative experience for me. That night is definitely one I want to read about in history textbooks 50 years from now. Such a travesty. And a travesty with aftershocks I

[heartofoshun]

Would 9/11 even have happened?

Who knows. That is a bit of a stretch. I think intelligence on it slipped through the cracks while everyone was so busy trying to impeach Clinton for getting some blow jobs in his office and he was busy trying to defend himself. Don't even get me started on that one. Outrageous waste of taxpayers money and the time and attention of those involved. But you know me; I could give a damn what he was doing in his office, no matter how inappropriate or tacky, as long as he got his work done and it was consensual.

Whatever had happened, Gore certainly would not have had the balls to spend as much money on wars as Bush did. Although, both main parties are historically far too trigger happy IMHO.

[hhimring]

Good for Maryland!

[dawn_felagund]

I'm proud of us! :D *pats Maryland appreciatively*

[engarian]

I must admit that I went to bed, but knew Obama was winning because my DH was very grumpy. I was worried about our two amendments - both needing "no" votes to carry the way that I was hoping they would. The cities weren't the problem, but the northern counties, where the Catholic church had put a lot of money and time in trying to get out the "yes" vote, that worried me quite a lot

[dawn_felagund]

For us, it was Baltimore City pastors and African American congregations that might have been the barrier to the passage of Q6. That makes me really sad, as many people who voted against Q6 were part of the civil rights movement.

We do need a federal law. The good news, I think, is that public opinion is rapidly changing; even the Republicans are recognizing, it seems, that they must evolve or die as a party, and same-sex marriage is an issue I hear being brought up a lot in those conversations of outmoded ideas that they need to get rid of.

Congrats to Minnesota too!

[ssotknapsack]

That was so beautifully said, Erulisse (one L).

[engarian]

Thanks :-)

- Erulisse (one L)

[ellynn_ithilwen]

So you did. That's great. ;)

P.s. Your sister in law is from UK, right? So, did your sister have to change citizenship after marriage, or she kept US, or one can have "double" citizenship...?

P.p.s. I really, really hope that the day will come that all the religions will lose their influence...

[dawn_felagund]

Yes, my sister lives in the UK now; her wife is a British citizen. I'm not sure of the particulars of her citizenship (she may appear on this thread and clarify), but I think she was close to the point of being able to apply for British citizenship. The U.S. allows for dual citizenship, so she'll have both.

(Sharon, correct me if I'm wrong!)

I hope for the same re: religious influence on secular life. As an agnostic myself, it's something I find very hard to wrap my brain around, wanting to govern others by my own spiritual beliefs. I guess it's got enough of a historical precedent to be a bad habit for a lot of religions by now. ;)

[ssotknapsack]

Dawn is correct. :) Both the US and UK allow dual citizenship, so I am still an American citizen and I will be an British citizen too, as soon as we scrape together £1,000 to apply for it.

Quite a long list of countries don't allow dual citizenship (or they only allow it under certain circumstances, e.g. Spaniards can also have citizenship from Latin American countries) but we are lucky that the US and UK do allow it.