Quote:
Originally Posted by cacophony
but those fighting the measure are now trying to make mortal enemies of anyone and everyone who ever dreamed of supporting the measure. and they're demanding that anyone and everyone they're supportive of join their furor. it's ridiculous.
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No hellfire here, but just to say I think that's probably an unfair characterization, even though I recognize it's getting (it got) counterproductive in parts. The goal of any campaign group is to get as much support and backing as possible, and I really get the sense that, as flawed as it has been, it doesn't deserve anything like the slating it's been receiving. I also think when people refer to minority groups "demanding" this and "demanding" that, it plays into a certain caritcature, the broader equivalent of "getting uppity".
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On the Rick Warren choice, let's not downplay this - it's a prominent and unique role that he's been honoured with, and will go some way to hastening his reputation as America's next Pastor. No-one's suggesting his views will be driving the political position on homosexuality in Obama's administration, of course not. But there's a symbolic approval or respect that comes from being honoured in this way. Choices have to be based on more than just "reaching out", even though reaching out is usually "a good thing" (and I'm intrinsically uncomfortable denying anyone rights based on their beliefs, however despicable I personally find them).
For anyone who accepts that being gay is as innate and unchangeable as being straight, then it's fair to start making some comparisons here. If Obama appointed someone who had openly and repeatedly compared your marriage with the sexual abuse of children, I should think there would be a little more uproar going around. If he spouted similarly backwards views about black people and their marriage restrictions, then we wouldn't be heralding Obama's ability to embrace a diverse selection of views - because Obama wouldn't have picked him.
Whether that's right or wrong isn't the point. It's the fact that a line is
still drawn at homosexuality that irks me more than the principle of reaching out to someone like this. I'm not greatly opposed to the choice in and of itself (though I share dubman's scepticism about how much it will ultimately achieve), but I am frustrated by the different standards that get applied - and I don't think that's a reflection of Obama's beliefs as much as it is of society's in general.