Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Wise words from Keith​ Olber​mann

Keith​ Olber​mann had a great commentary on the Proposition 8 issue that I think everyone, no matter what their stance on the issue, should see.



In case Youtube removes it for copyright violation the gist is that this issue is about the human heart. Why should an issue like this matter to those who voted for it or supported Prop 8? People keep talking about redefining marriage. Without a redefinition of marriage in 1967, blacks and whites could not be married in 16 states. The parents of the new president could not have been married in almost one third of the country he has now been elected to lead. Nobody is asking you to accept their expression of love. They are only asking you to embrace the concept of love. 50% of marriages fail no matter how much you try and here is a group of people overjoyed at taking that chance on lifelong love. With so much hate and meaningless division in the world, this is what your religion tells you to do? If you want to honor your God, spread happiness. Show me any scripture in any holy book against this and then tell me how you can believe that and the scripture that reads, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

While my paraphrase doesn't do the video justice, you get the point. If for some reason this video gets pulled from youtube, find it somewhere and watch it. It is important.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Accepted American Bigotry

So overall the elections went well, unless you count every ban on gay marriage up for a vote passing. We have finally elected a black president but we still see fit in this country to deny people in love the right to marry simply because of Judeo Christian bigotry against homosexuality. To all of my gay and lesbian friends, my heart goes out to you. To borrow from the civil rights movement, we shall overcome.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

History in the making

As I sit here catching my breath I am filled with hope. CNN just made the official call that Barack Obama will be president. When Martin Luther King spoke of having been to the mountain top and having seen the promised land, a day like today is what he saw. The realization of the dream begins its culmination tonight. I am such a swirl of emotion right now I don't feel I can wax sufficiently poetic to capture the significance of this moment but I felt I must log this moment in time. It is my hope that this night will truly change the course of our nation. Words fail me.

UPDATE: McCain just conceded. His concession speech is the best he has given this whole election. It is both graceful and gracious. Well fought Senator McCain. Your concession speech has set a tone of unification after a divisive and long election. Thank you.

The Big Day

I voted this morning. It is the first time I have ever voted almost straight Democrat. Most importantly, I placed my vote for Barack Obama, the first politician to ever inspire me. As I try to make it through the day without gluing myself to the hundred channels of election coverage I find myself both worried and hopeful at once.

As I stood in a record line this morning filled with young first time voters in a precinct that usually looks like a sparsely populated retirement home I felt a glimmer of hope. By the discussions going on in line there were at least eight Obama voters in a row in front of me and two more in back meaning in a district filled with McCain signs there were at least 11 people in a row casting a vote for change. It felt good to be a in a little flotilla of blue in a sea of red state voters.

As the final days of the campaign wound down I stopped focusing as much on the dirty lies of the McCain supporters and looked at the other issues around the country. Two popped immediately into view.

First, the dirty ad campaign of Elizabeth Dole claiming that Kay Hagan was supported by the Godless Americans and implying that she made promises to that group were as vile as all of the racist things said about Barack Obama. What offended me more though was that Kay Hagan not only defended her faith and denied the lies that she had made promises to the Godless Americans but in doing so implied that Godless Americans are an Anti-American group to be feared. I am a Godless American you intolerant hate mongering bigots. The time is coming when Americans will see the lies about us for what they are and equate them with the stories Nazis told about the Jews. The smartest among us are Atheists. Does being smart make you a bad American?

Speaking of hate mongering, I have something to say about Proposition 8 in California. I think any California resident reading this should call their local civil rights attorney and start a class action lawsuit to strip any religion that has contributed to this hate filled campaign of its precious tax exempt status. That's right Mormons, I am looking squarely at you. You still believe that in the Celestial Kingdom all righteous men will have more than one wife and have only suspended polygamy here due to bigamy laws. Don't believe me? The manifesto of 1890 only repeals the practice, not the doctrine. You of all people should be ones to talk about a "1 man, 1 woman" definition of marriage. Most of all, Mormon interference in this election by supporting Prop 8 from both wallet and pulpit stands in direct violation of federal tax codes governing church tax exempt status. Catholics and Baptists, you are in the same boat. All of your hate mongering money machines need to be taxed and taxed now. Religion is a multi-billion dollar industry. When your pulpit and coffers are used to support legislation of any kind you should be subjected to the same taxes as the rest of us. When you worship in private and keep it private, I have no problem. When you play in the public sphere, you must also pay in the public sphere. Until you open your pockets and pony up taxes like everyone else, your mouths need to stay the fuck shut.