Nevermind the timing, the motivation, the political calculation, or whatever else may have affected his decision, President Obama did the right thing when he announced that he favors same-sex marriage. Instead of carping, how about if we just take a victory lap?
Yes, it would be nice, wouldn't it? Will I be able to walk, or will we be running?
ReplyDeleteI'd say walk, but then I am old. How about each of us do our own thing?
ReplyDeleteI know. My skept-o-meter was in overdrive when I first heard the news. Then, I just relaxed and took the gift. This time, politics worked for us. It doesn't always.
ReplyDeleteWhen Joe Biden came out in favor of same-sex marriage, I thought the president would not be far behind. The thing is, it was the right thing to do, and he did it.
ReplyDeleteMHO. I believe he mentioned that he and Michelle were of a mind on this. Keeping it as how they feel as opposed to it being a political opinion could be a really good thing. A man and woman much admired saying this is personally what they think could turn the tide in opening discussion in many areas.
ReplyDeleteObama is a politician, and why would we be surprised that political calculations were in the mix? Still, I have no doubt that Obama and Michelle went with their hearts on this one.
ReplyDeleteHooray, and thank you, Mr. President for f i n a l l y getting on board the arc-of-justice train. You know, I remember what Martin Luther King said about JFK's footdragging . . . oh but I'm sorry, Mimi. I'll stop right there.
ReplyDeleteYou may enjoy the new New Yorker cover.
ReplyDeleteRuss, I try not to judge, lest I be judged. I came late in my life to the fight for justice and equality for LGTB folks.
ReplyDeleteLapin, the New Yorker cover is wonderful. My copy arrives so late down here in the swamps that I had not seen it.
Mimi
ReplyDeletethe verse which came to mind, after listening to more than enough gum-flapping, speculation, criticism and empty talk about the President's 'coming out' was
'by your fruits you shall know them.'
tells me the President was 'standing in a righeous place' when he spoke, and how he got there is the business of the Holy Spirit alone.
David, sometimes Obama can't win, even with the folks who are supposed to be on his side. I do not agree with all of his policies, but - good grief! - when he does something right, give him credit due.
ReplyDeleteHe ended DADT; he ordered the Attorney General to stop defending DOMA; he came out in favor of same-sex marriage; he signed a health care bill that covers more people. That's right off the top of my head. John McCain would have done none of those things.
You're right, nobody on the GOP side would have done squat. And I am truly grateful to every straight ally for every ounce of support. But perhaps it's a little different feeling when you've spent a whole lifetime living with the pain of injustice and hatred. I'm sure you've read by now of the brutal assault perpetrated by Romney and his friends on a schoolmate back in the 1960's. Well, I was there and I was beaten and bullied too, not exactly the same way but close enough. And there was no help to be had from any quarter. So that was the formative experience of my young life, and though I somehow managed on my own to overcome and carry on with my life, I still feel the ache from the scars today.
ReplyDeleteOnce I saw Adrienne Barbeau in a TV movie about a young woman who is raped. Afterwards, Barbeau's character lost it, and at first I was wondering, well why is she carrying on so much? The perp was arrested, he'll be punished, she wasn't badly injured or killed, so what gives? But as I watched Barbeau play out the story, I came to realize OMG what a shattering experience it is for a woman, regardless of what happens to the perp.
And I realized that what happened to her in spirit was the same thing that happened to me.
Of course I can't pretend to fully understand because it's never happened to me, and I'm a different gender. But I realize it is a life-changing experience, for the bad, and that's the problem with Romney's "apology": it's so obvious he's just saying the words - ". . . if I hurt anyone . . . " - he doesn't feel it, he never has, and he likely never will. He's the same kind of snotty, smirking, well-off creep that he was then. Lots of people are.
By the same token, imagine if he had raped a girl student and he came out with "if I hurt anyone" - I don't think that would pass muster with you ladies, would it?
Back to Obama, and then I'll sign off on this topic: if it weren't done so obviously for political calculations at this particular point in time, I'd be a lot more joyous. Let's say you've waited several years for that man of yours to fix the leaky sink, or the stuck door, or the broken burner, or whatever. Something you know would take him less than 5 minutes of time and effort to do if only he would. When he finally gets his act in gear, long after you've stopped hoping for his help, do you say, "Oh what a wonderful guy you are, sweetheart!"
Or do you say, "What took you so long?"
Clarifications: "I was there" not at his school, but in the 1960's. And he and his cronies are damn liars when they say they didn't even think about homosexuality then: "homo" and "queer" were the common terms of abuse on every straight boy's lips, every day of the week.
ReplyDeleteAlso - "no help from any quarter" - I did confide in my mom, who complained to the school, but that only made things worse.
Russ, you can say whatever you like about Obama. My blog is a place for folks to express their opinions, and not all have to be in agreement with me. I have been frustrated and disappointed with Obama a good many times, but when I think of the alternative, I'm brought up short.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with an alcoholic, bullying, verbally abusive father, who did his best to destroy any positive self-image in me and my two sisters. My sisters are dead, but we all bore the scars, them for their entire lives and me still. It was hell, but he did not succeed with me, because I knew from early on that HE was the problem and not me. I had to live with him, and I was limited in what I could say, but my mind and my thoughts were my own.
My schools were free from bullying, TBTG, and I have never been sexually assaulted, so I can't even imagine what a violation that would be for me. As for Romney, go read the account at Daily Kos of a college freshmen who experienced something similar to what Romney and his friends did to their gay classmate. Of course, the victim of the attack never forgets, and once you've done something like that to another person, you don't forget, unless you're a pod without normal human feelings. Of course, Romney could be lying, since he's been caught on the record telling lies a good many times.
So what I said in my post was what I felt and thought at the moment, and I'm most grateful that McCain was not elected. That does not mean that visitors here are not allowed to express different opinions.
I wrote what I thought and felt at the moment too, don't hold it against me, cher:
ReplyDeleteI threw out
the plums
in the back
of the icebox
Forgive me
they were
bitter
and old
and stank of
mendacity
Grin.
Romney, of course, positively reeks of it. I know only God sees his heart - but as near as I can make out, he is a Hollow Man: shape without form, shade without color. He hasn't forgotten anything, nor has he repented of it. Sad.
Russ, I don't hold what you said against you. Not at all, m'dear.
ReplyDelete