Since yesterday morning when I read about Maine, Virginia, and New Jersey, I've kept hearing this lyric from the Dixie Chicks song in my head:
I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and
I don't have time to go round and round and round
It got louder when I read a piece in the New York Times about the Democratic leadership appearing to be ready to agree that health care reform will assure that any "public option is a pro-life option."
It is profoundly unjust when the private moral choices of women and lesbian and gay couples are subject to majority vote and political trading. There can be no common ground when votes are allowed to strip people of their existing rights.
Imagine if people could have voted to overturn civil rights legislation in their states in the 1960's. Imagine if slavery had been put up for referendum in the south. Imagine allowing politicians to decide if organ transplants or do not resuscitate orders could be available for your loved ones. Marriage equality -- or any recognition of the civil rights of a minority group -- should not be eligible for public referendum.
Even victories like in Washington State feel hollow when they are based on "separate but equal."
We can not cede people's rights or lives to common ground. As people of faith committed to sexual justice, we must speak only for the higher ground. People's lives are at stake. Join US.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Amen. Suppose, for instance, it were put on the ballot that Mormonism is not a legitimate "religion" and therefore entitled to no constitutional protection. There are certain states in the South where this might stand a good chance of passing. Actually, maybe we should promote such ballot measures. I wouldn't want to see them pass, but we could deflect the Mormon money in another direction other than trying to block lgbt civil rights!
Anon...like what kind of protection does Religion get?
It was UU's by the way who lead the fight against plural marriage...
...and given the Mormon's Church roll in the Prop 8 vote in California, when could well argue UUs would lead another crusade against Mormons. Check some of the UU blogs from back then.
Post a Comment