...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Monday, September 27, 2004
      ( 8:08 AM )
 
Bigotry on Parade

The upcoming election is tense for all kinds of reasons. Here in Portland we have some major ballot initiatives facing the electorate. One is whether to add a constitutional amendment denying gay couples the right to civil union or marriage.

This mama stands clearly and solidly with the NO ON 36 movement - but I'm sure that doesn't surprise my readers. What I have been very disturbed by is the way this ballot initiative has brought out the brutal bigotry that has evidently been smoldering under the surface of our community for a long time. Everywhere you go now, you can see signs spouting "One Man, One Woman - Yes on 36!" Basically, the last acceptable bigotry has now become popular. It is evidently okay to publicly display your prejudice, hatred and belief that some of us are less equal than others of us. It really stabs at my heart every time I see this sign in someone's yard. It's painful to realize that it's actually fine in my state to display bigotry as if it is a benign political position.

We've talked long and hard about this issue in the last year on this blog. My opinion is that there should be no state-sanctioned marriage and only civil unions for everyone - thus keeping the "sacredness" of marriage confined to those who want to add that aspect to it, and allowing the rest of us to enjoy the rights and benefits now afforded to state sanctioned marriages.

Those spouting the filth that "allowing" gays to marry will ruin marriage itself are hiding behind a kind of prejudice that if it were against anyone of color rather than homosexuals, would be shunned from our society. Marriage as an institution is not protected when divorce is rampant, children are neglected and abused and more and more couples simply choose domestic partnership rather than marriage. There is no argument you can give against it that isn't based solely on bigotry and prejudice - even if you have tightly held religious beliefs. There were tightly held religious beliefs (backed by the Bible) for slavery.

Equity and Justice are what this country was meant to strive for. Look how far we haven't come. People have no shame about putting out a yard sign that declares their belief that equity ISN'T what this country is about. And poo poo to justice. Shame on all of you. Shame on us for not fighting harder against this bigotry on parade.

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