I’ve been watching a 9-hour series on C-SPAN documenting the Capitol building. One of the striking things that all involved keep saying is that it represents openness and freedom and the expansion of our liberties.
At the same time, the majority within that building — the Republicans — are pushing once again to marginalize and discriminate against one segment of the population. Not only that, but they are proposing to do it by constitutional amendment.
Yes, once again, the Republicans are trying to pass a discriminatory amendment to the constitution to prevent gay people from marrying. Gee, there must be an election coming, eh? Because elections are the time when the morally bankrupt and corrupt Republicans, rather than present ideas and plans to fix our nation’s problems, instead start pointing fingers and telling you who you should blame for your troubles. They tried a few months ago to point that finger at immigrants, but were startled to find that those people were able to mobilize immediately and show their fangs, so the Republicans backed down very quickly. But they’ve always had success with their ultra-right wing fanatical base, the ones that can’t think for themselves, by raising the spectre of — gasp — a married gay couple right next door, who just by being married might cause the break up of straight marriages everywhere!
They call any attempt at gaining equal rights to be a search for “special” rights. What they really mean is that they want special rights for heterosexuals, giving them benefits that others don’t get. They fear that heterosexual marriage will fall apart if straight couples don’t get special rights and benefits… and to that, I say this: if marriages only hold together because of special government benefits, then marriage is not worth saving. Their vehement cries of “defense of marriage” never include love in the equation.
Anyway, now Bush is out on the stump for this vile project. I just hope that enough time has passed that Americans will, this time, recognize the Republican strategy of divide & conquer, of manufacturing an enemy that they can blame for society’s problems. Gay Americans are just the latest in a long line of groups who have been the target of such hate. Can you imagine if the Republicans were to try to pass a constitutional amendment to outlaw marriage between a black person and a white person? How about legislation discriminating against Jews, Asians, or Native Americans? What if they decided that left-handed people were sent from the devil, and they would be forced into “reparative therapy”?
Will we ever become a society that embraces our diversity instead of fearing it and letting our leaders exploit that fear for personal gain?
