Politics, for a moment.
Posted on | November 6, 2008 |
I don’t normally talk politics here, but I have to get this off my chest.
Now I’ve had a couple days to let the news sink in. And despite my tears of joy on Tuesday night, my happiness in the outcome and my pride in the the turnout - the fact that so many people cared enough to vote (whichever candidate(s) they supported), I felt dismay the next day to hear about Proposition 8, Proposition 102, Amendment 2 (and Initiative 1 in Arkansas). And checking online throughout the day and having to search for updates. This does not impact me directly, nor does it impact my home state. But I do care about the outcome. I wasn’t sure that I believed that Obama could really be elected. But I was certain that IF we could do this, if Obama could be our president, well then, it was a forgone conclusion - these measures would never pass. And so while I’m celebrating a man whom I believe will be a great leader, and this great moment in our history, there’s a part of me that is taking stock of how far we have to go in a country where we are (still) not all equal.
We have work to do. But we WILL get there.
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15 Responses to “Politics, for a moment.”
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November 6th, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
I was so surprised to hear about prop 8, in California of all places. But, as you say, it is a great moment - well worth savouring!
November 6th, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
I agree — we WILL get there. Especially if you look at the profile of voters who voted no on Prop. 8 and these other measures, you can see that the younger generation is overwhelmingly more supportive of gay marriage than the older generation.
Meanwhile, hooray for North Carolina voting in a Democratic president (and turning out Liddy)! I certainly never thought such a thing could happen when I lived there.
November 6th, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
Yeah, I was really upset about Proposition 8 passing - especially since it happened in the state I grew up in.
November 6th, 2008 @ 8:26 pm
What people forget about California is that although there are AREAS of progressive thought, the majority of the state is neither urban or suburban - it is rural, and sometimes quite so.
San Francisco voted overwhelmingly AGAINST Prop 8. In LA County, they were almost 50/50 split. In my county, it was something horrifying like 70/30 FOR Prop 8 (rest assured that I was one of the HELL NO votes).
But California is a HUGE state with a history of passing truly terrible, divisive legislature. It is not, I repeat NOT a progressive state on the whole.
And unfortunately, the supporters of Prop 8 frightened people by making their primary argument FOR the proposition that if you didn’t vote for it that your children would all be taught about gay marriage in school, and oh my isn’t that just terrifying (I hope my snark comes through here). And the opponents of Prop 8 just didn’t have the money to effectively combat the fear.
Sorry for the long winded comment - Mike and I have been talking a lot about Prop 8, and he’s just…very angry that it has passed. It’s given him a new outlook on what California is really like, and that outlook isn’t all sunshine and flowers.
Ultimately, this is an issue that will need to be heard by the courts, and sometimes I have more faith in the courts than I do the people.
But we’ll see.
November 6th, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
Well said. My hubby and I had this very same conversation today. WHEN do we finally allow all of this petty crap to fall by the wayside, accept people for who they are and what contributions they make as Americans and MOVE ON! Let’s band together and worry about some stuff that really matters shall we?? Let’s make a difference on something that matters - not something that continues to promote hate and division.
November 6th, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
Hm…that is surprising. It seems like stepping backwards.
And the “initiative 1″ thing which bans gay couples from adopting…too bad straight men aren’t banned from adopting as, statistically, they are the demographic most likely to sexually abuse a child.
For what it’s worth.
November 6th, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
I concur, Mel.
November 7th, 2008 @ 12:22 pm
Yup. I feel ya. Seriously disappointed in a few of these things, but thank GOD it is not joined with a McC/P elect.
November 7th, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
I completely agree Mel. The news of such hateful propositions passing brought me heartache in a time of great and overwhelming joy. I can’t tell you how proud I was to see NC State go blue, being a former resident of that great place
I always knew the spirit of America would overcome any ties from the past that would drag NC down.
I now believe that America is back it’s course to striving for a more perfect union, so I take these words from our next president and strive towards our future of a equal and free America for all:
“This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.”
I believe anything is possible now.
November 7th, 2008 @ 8:26 pm
Thank you for saying something! I am overjoyed about Obama’s victory, and especially about the fact that he (narrowly) won my home state of Indiana. But I feel saddened that it seems people still need to find scapegoats to blame for what’s not going well.
November 9th, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
Amen Sister!!
We here in PA were so heartened to see the shift in NC voting tide as well as the other swing states. But how sad we were to wake up and discover the outcome of Prop 8 was looking a bit dismal. It did manage to mar the day, as many of our close friends were denied their clear victory due to a wave of misunderstanding, fear, and intolerance. And although I respect the right of others to hold and act upon their own personal views in their own lives, I always feel saddened when those views are so forcibly fed through our political system by limiting the rights of those who are seen as “different”.
Luckily, I truly feel that laws such as these are the final gasps of a dying sentiment, and aren’t long for the books. I only wish that day were here instead of sometime in the future.
Thanks for taking a moment to share, and allowing us to do the same!
November 10th, 2008 @ 12:28 am
I completely agree. Prop 8 makes me heart-sick. I’ve always supported gay rights, but this time it was really brought home to me that this was truly MY issue, too. It’s not just gay rights, it’s human rights at stake here, and I need to do something to help. What is done in a proposition can be undone in a proposition. So let’s work together and find a way to undo it!
November 10th, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
Prop 8 is a disgrace. The campaign for it was mostly directed at parents who fear that their children might learn about gay marriage in school. Because my kid saw the ads on tv and asked me what they were talking about, it turned out to be a great opportunity for me to teach my kid about marriage, gay or straight!
November 10th, 2008 @ 4:31 pm
Thanks for saying this. Melissa and I are coming out of a deep, prop 8-inspired funk. It helps to hear decent people speaking up.
November 10th, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
The presidential election results had me emotional and elated…but the realist in me knew that even as the results were announced that we are still far from being a tolerant nation. We are making steps forward every day…this election proves that…but there are so many more we need to make.