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Discussion: Five or ten percent of voters is not a majority.
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MaryCristos |
Five or ten percent of voters is not a majority.
Oct 20 2009, 4:59 PM EDT
The LGBT community has done a tremendous job of organizing and fighting for equal rights over the years. And with much notable success, especially compared to 40 years ago when you couldn't even have a gay bar! From today's vantage point you wonder, how could that even be possible! But Barney Frank is right: the next step is putting the heat to our politicians in 435 congressional districts and 50 states. Obama is not the problem, he has way too much on his plate already. The problem is our United States Congress. That's where the power is. In general, politicians care only about votes. And five or ten percent of the total voting population is not a majority. I believe the LGBT community needs to build the mother of all gay/straight alliances. And in recognition of where the necessary votes really are, let's call it a straight/gay alliance. I believe today about fifty percent of straight Americans would agree that everyone should have equal rights. And it's getting better every day as more and more old Christian and Mormon bigots die or turn senile, and more and more young people turn 18 and can vote. That's why I'd like you to take a look at the "Equal Rights For All Americans" petition campaign at UniversalFreeChurch.org. It's an effective mechanism that makes it easy to influence your congressional representatives and contact your friends anywhere in the country to do the same thing. Unless you have a better solution, please join in and let's make this happen. Also, please read the pre-written email appeal at the website. You can cut and paste that email and send it to everyone you know that might be supportive of this effort. (don't forget your straight friends). Do you find this valuable?
Keyword tags:
DADT
DOMA
ENDA
Equal Rights
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atmasilver |
1. RE: Five or ten percent of voters is not a majority.
Oct 23 2009, 12:11 AM EDT
"Did you know your universal human rights have been stolen by Christian politicians and Christian voters who've always passed secular laws forcing their religious beliefs on everyone else?Whether it's medical marijuana, pro-choice rights, same-sex marriage, or anything else: fascist Catholics, Protestants, and Mormons have always stolen the natural and inalienable human rights of consenting adults to simply live their own private lives in their own private ways." I don't think you can start any alliance with mainstream America by denigrating religion. I'm totally against medical marijuana and am totally bored by the abortion debate, I think facism is an overused word thrown about by wannabe shock jocks who have no appreciation for history, and I totally support using the process of legislation to define what is right and what is wrong. I'm completely blind to how the gay community as a minority had its successes in the times when most people against us. But right now most people are for us. A little. Because of that, it gains a politician less and less to be against us. The problem is it also gains them little to be for us. If we don't succeed at changing that dynamic, the next best thing is to convince people that our rights are perfectly natural, normal, and uncontroversial. Do you find this valuable? |
Athelwulf |
2. RE: Five or ten percent of voters is not a majority.
Oct 26 2009, 2:50 PM EDT
| Post edited: Oct 26 2009, 2:52 PM EDT
Though I agree with the abstract sentiment the petition starts off with, I agree with atmasilver.Firstly, it unnecessarily associates gay rights with medical marijuana rights and the right to choose. True, some people who support these might see the analogy being drawn and would open their mind to gay rights. But this shouldn't be a major tactic to win people over. Gay rights are a different ballpark from both of these issues. We need everyone who supports gay rights on our side, even the few conservatives. Secondly, a Christian who may be sympathetic to our concerns might be put off by anyone calling them or their religious brethren "fascist". Even once. For any reason. I say this as one o' them filthy atheists. Again, though I agree with the very abstract sentiment, I strongly disagree with the literal, or even figurative, assertion that they are fascists. George Orwell once said <http://orwell.ru/library/articles/As_I_Please/english/efasc>: "As used, the word ‘Fascism’ is almost entirely meaningless... I have heard it applied to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox-hunting, bull-fighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs and I do not know what else." I suggest you refer to people who oppose the right to live your life how you want in very general terms. Don't call them Christians, fascists, conservatives, or warmongers. Don't refer to the war in Iraq, stem-cell research, drugs, health care reform, abortion, or any other issue with no tangible connection to gay rights. Just focus on the general point: We should have the right to live how we choose. Until this is changed, I won't sign up. Do you find this valuable? |
