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Wake up LGBT people. Obama thinks you are less than heterosexual people to the point that he thinks we should be denied basic human rights. On top of that LGBT people are punished financially by not being able to share those 1300+ rights.
How were we so fooled? I think we projected what we wanted Obama to be onto Obama, and he clearly isn't who we thought he was. Hopefully those with a cult-like adoration of Obama will recover from the effects of the Kool-Aid and we will work for our rights and for politicians who see LGBT people as fully human beings who are not less than anyone.
We got more from Bush! And they want to evenly distribute it over a year? Let's see, if you're paid 26 times a year, that's just over $19.00 Whoopi! I can buy a big mac instead of a cheeseburger. We are in trouble folks. The middle class needs thousands in relief, not pennies.
(sarcasm).....
He will need all the support he can muster in 2012. The fundies will never embrace him and now he is alienating the LGBT Community and those who support full equality for LGBT people.
When Obama fails to keep more and more of his promises, others in the middle will also abandon him as well. He is looking more and more like Jimmy Carter all the time. Many of us will not be there for him when he needs our time, money and energy. Betrayal stings and we will not forget.
Welcome to the White House Obama.. I hope u have a strong stomach, cause the place has been left a big steaming mess by Bush.
"But if we must have an officiating priest, let it be some dignified old hypocrite with no factional allegiance and not a tree-shaking huckster and publicity seeker who believes that millions of his fellow citizens are hellbound because they do not meet his own low and vulgar standards."
I don't always agree with Hitchens, but here he is spot-on.
.
democratic bipartisanship : we will do what you want.
Sadly Obama is following the path already carved by the Pelosi/Reid/etc Democrats.. no spine, no balls, no courage.
http://www.interfaithalliance.org/about/meet-ou...
Millions of Americans use cannabis.
Millions of Americans who don't use cannabis want it legalized because they realize it's not dangerous, while alcohol and Obomb's beloved tobacco kill millions worldwide.
Plus, millions of users and non-users don't want public resources & prison space wasted on cannabis prohibition.
Millions of farmers could supplement their income.
Millions of sick & dying could use cannabis medicinally.
But will they be represented at the inauguration?
Only if you count Melissa Etheridge, who is appearing despite the fact Obama wants to throw cannabis users in prison.
Etheridge is willing to appear with a man who compares her love to pedophiliac incest and another man who would throw her medicine suppliers in prison for Eric Holder's long-fought-for mandatory minimums.
Progress?
Prove me wrong Melissa! Use the platform to promote civil rights & liberties!
I'll believe it when I see it.
On a longer term, this action by Obama shows us that in many ways, like so many others running this year, he just doesn't get it when it comes to marriage. It clearly illustrates that he certainly doesn't get the pain, the sickness in the pit of our stomachs and the sadness we all felt when Proposition 8 passed. In many ways, I guess this cold - but not surprising - reality just reminds us of the enormous amount of work we have to do in the community. Most importantly, no one individual is going to make justice appear over night so we can just sit back and celebrate. Our work is our work and we clearly have to fight hard for our rights within and without this administration. The good news is that he is not George W. Bush and we have the opportunity to make great progress if we do our job.
Obama has made his first huge misstep. I totally disagree with his inclusive 'big tent' explanation, especially when it makes us feel outside the tent. I am counting on Rev. Joseph Lowery that day to let the world know of our struggle. He has been a valuable friend for years. It is unlikely that anyone can censor him.
As for Obama, I am thrilled that he won over McCain. I look forward to amazing new policies on a number of fronts. I am not willing to toss him out, declare him evil or proclaim him our enemy based on a one-minute prayer. He hasn't even been sworn in yet. But given his actions with the Rev. Warren, we need some expression in appointments and policies that we are indeed part of this great adventure. And we need it pretty damn soon.
That reminds me of an old saying, David, "You can put lipstick on a pig...
Why not Rep. David Duke, PhD?
BTW, have you noticed the response to the "Barack the Magic Negro" song. It's being called racist and horrible and disrespectful. But, why aren't they saying to lighten up. It's just a 2 minute song. It has nothing to do with policy. Why aren't they saying the RNC needs to reach out and be inclusive of all opinions, even those of racists?
Why is it OK for Obama to be disrespectful of gays and not alright for republicans to be disrespectful of Obama? Double standard? Once again, racism is important. But, anti-gay bigotry is not.
He can make can make cannabis users disappear for 5 years!
A la peanut butter sandwiches!
So flail away if you must, but don't think you're making a difference or even making sense.
Wait...
Bomb throwing?
Call Secret Service!
Or your mom!
Could you post the survey from which you gleaned this information? Or are you just pulling it out of thin air?
It should also be noted that Warren took the time to post video about how 'gay friendly' he was, putting the lie to your claim. Objecting to extending an invitation for the biggest inaugural in our history to a far right-wing pastor who discriminates against a minority and calls for the assassination of a foreign head of state makes excellent sense. After eight years of the bush administration veneer and tendency to 'run-out-the-clock' on issues, it is certainly incumbent and entirely understandable to respond immediately to any indication of bad faith on Obama's part, particularly considering the amount of work all citizens/Americans did on his behalf...yes, including the gay ones. You don't display gratitude to a willing and hard-working constituency, promoting 'unity,' by selectively vilifying segments of that citizenry via the rhetoric of your chosen spiritual proxy.
This issue is casting a bit of a cloud over Obama's inaugural, and well-earned, it was an injudicious gamble.
"as lunatic as Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin combined"
"really nutty anger"
"overreact endlessly"
Once you wring the hyperbole and baseless insults out of your rant, is there anything left?
A very sad thing for me personally. I was looking forward to a good cry at inaguration...I guess I thought they would be tears of joy.
How dissapointing.
Does the maestro know? You betcha -- wrote the score.
Rick Warren knows exactly what they are doing in Nigeria and he wrote an opinion piece equating these guys and their worse-than-the-Nazis anti-gay laws with Nelson Mandela!!!
This Nigerian legislation is so incredibly evil that Bush's Department of State even wrote a press release begging Nigeria to not do this.
So to sum up, Obama is giving a keynote spot at his inauguration to a man who supports mandatory imprisonment for anyone even perceived as being remotely gay. Obama is even against Rice's Department of State!
Here's the article discussing how Warren supports the Nigerian anti-gay laws that make the Nazi's look like good guys:
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/12/24/185...
Here's the State Dept press release:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2006/60241.htm
Obama is SO wrong!
3 generations of liberals thinking WTF?!?
We're all trying to figure out how we can use the energy we extended to help Obama get into the WH into a movement to undo this damage on American civil liberties.
Shit, same as it ever was.....!
Oh, were you being nasty? Don't we have enough nasty these days?!
- put global warming deniers on the EPA?
- put a holocaust denier as the ambassador to Israel?
- put a member of the KKK as the ambassador to South Africa?
I mean after all, we have to be inclusive right?
dula - let me give you the crux of the argument. BIGOTRY does NOT have a PLACE under the BIG tent. See? Verstehen Sie?
It really is a simple as that. Now, re-read your statement.
The right - gay = pedophilia, beastiality, etc.
the left - anti-gay marriage = anti-semitism, racism, etc.
From this comment, it is obvious why the Obama people are hell bent to frame our upset over honoring Bigot Warren as totally having to do with his opposition to gay marriage. And that framing is working.
No doubt they've focus group or poll analyzed this. The truth is there are horrible things wrong with Bigot Warren being honored that go far, far beyond his role against same sex marriage and we must keep making that point.
trying to (even factiously) tie his beliefs to anti-Semitism/racism/etc. is the wrong tact...
Warren will speak, Obama will not become an anti-gay bigot and there will gay marriage in America by the time Obama leaves office.
this whole thing is getting out of hand...
I don't agree with the ass, but I don't think the combative attitude is going to resolve the issue in a way you want.
And yes, combative is the word I'd choose.
IT seems we're not even into O's Presidency and a lot of you are ready to write him off for displaying traits he had back when you all were rooting for him.
He hasn't chnaged you've finally just realised that the lesser of two evils is still, well, a bit evil.
Did you really think you were electing Buddha?
He's a politician from Chicago.
but my god. he's so different than Bush.
So be happy, but be reasonable. If you make him give you ALL or NOTHING he WILL give you NOTHING.
The compulsive self-victimization here is overwhelming. The shrieking out of imagined grievances toward Barack Obama is so irrational that it is sort of what I'd imagine visiting Bedlam was like in the 19th century.
Unbridled anger does nothing but harm the perpetrator, it brands them as anti-social and makes them pariahs to whom no-one listens.
I'm sorry the folks here who have turned feral towards Obama and anyone who defends him cannot see themselves as anathema to reasonable attempts to end bigotry, but perhaps they have too many personal issues to allow them to see straight.
Too bad, but YOU keep up the good fight.
I already see that my tone (what I think is simply realism) is drawing the ire of a few, but I hope they understand I don't want to simply fight, I want to win.
Think of HOW Obama won... did he, as many on the far left wanted (myself included) land definitive "knock out blows" in debates? No.
Did he go scorched earth?
Again, no.
He stayed on message, he convinced people that were considered unconvince-able (with his tone and manner) and he didn't, for the most part, stoop to the level of his opponents.
That should teach us all something.
Thanks for the support... and HELP ME!! :)
This is also one of my favorite sites and I refuse to be shouted off by those who lean on their caps button. I've been involved with gay issues for a long time, I still grieve for the decimation that AIDS brought to my generation, and I've seen effective protests and ineffectual ones.
The high level of intransigence among the most vocal of the "under the bus" sort of commenter and the single minded attempts to limit genuine debate about Warren is disturbing. You can see by the above comments in response to your calm demeanor how much they want to silence even the mildest dissent.
I'll try to get your back.
I agree with all of that.
I think AB could be the leading light on this issue if it only tried to find a way to take the success of (helping) getting a Dem into office into helping shape that Dems agenda...
but J has (based in honest emotion I am sure) turned this into a proto-civil war... not great.
I understand all of the reasons why, but I think AB will become completely irrelavent if it doesn't stay part of the winning team...
there is no alternative... who will he campaign for... the Dems are the only pseudo-progressive party going...
anyway, thanks again for the back-getting.
onwards and upwards, etc.
Chris
try and be a bit reasonable.. we ALL want the same outcome... I just think there's better ways to accomplish it than starting a war within the party... or even within the comments section of my fave blog.
:)
Calling a gay man (or at least someone heavily involved in gay issues for years) a homophobe because he disagrees with your tactics exposes the weakness of your argument.
How can we win this? Let's decide that before we run off on a (potentially) isolating tangent.
A good argument among like-minded friends leaves all in a stronger position. To quote Michael Palin:
"Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says."
And finally...all or nothing???? Are you saying it's too much to expect to not have an outright bigot kept out of the inaugural ceremony? If you really believe that, then America is lost and you really do not get the issue here.
And to the person who questioned whether or not the tone of this debate had turned confrontational, read this post. ^^^^^
I want to win, guys and gals, and we won't do that by being seen as a fringe, screaming mob.
People associate themselves with confident winners, not epithet slinging angry fringe-ers.
And, if LGBT EQUALITY isn't the same as Jewsish equality and race equality, why is that to you? Do you actually believe that racists and anti-semites ar more dangerous than the anti-gays? Do you actually believe that racism and anti-semitism are more important issues to deal with? Is equality for SOME more important than equality for ALL?
Obama is a politician though and as such he'll engage in politics.
If you wanted a really left president you should've voted Kucinich (like I have repeatedly, btw.).
But America didn't voted for a progressive, they voted for Obama.
Obama is not going to stop being a politician because YOU voted for him and YOU'RE a progressive.
Get over it.
We on the left are looking like extremists (who Obama has no interest at this point in pleasing... ) and that hurts us (cue dismissive Axlerod statement).
HE wants to appear to be above the rancour... right now WE ARE the rancour.
You want him on your side? Don't attack him like he's Tom Delay or Strom Thurmond.
He has enough support, he doesn't need yours, or mine... we have to make him WANT it.....on top of that Rick Warren is seen as a moderate to most of America. (Remember, he's said repeatedly he LOVES gay people... something most Evangelicals wouldn't do.)
Make Obama want to please you to suit HIS political needs and you'll get what you want... He's way too popular to care about rabble rousers (even correct ones) at this point.
Play the game...
This is as close to a LIBERAL President as we'll see for decades I imagine... you need him to want to please you... that's the reality...
if you guys continue to says "for us or against us" you'll have as much success as Bush has had with "evildoers".
On top of which, to the outside world, we seem spoiled --- "Why can't he believe EXACTLY what I want? 85% just isn't enough."
Rick Warren is speaking at the inauguration so Obama = George Bush.
Really?
Are you sure?
Obama just gave Rick Warren the HIGHEST HONOR he could bestow to any religious leader at his inauguration. And, by doing so, presnts an image to America that he approves of the message Warren sends. And, Warren's record AGAINST gay rights is not limited to being against gay marriage,
Well put Smitty. It is the final question anyone working for propagandists would ask. Goring was a genius because he recognized just that.
http://www.ibelievethis.us
Second, my point about being targeted is this. It is fine to strongly disagree with Warren and with President Elect Obama but I feel it is wrong to make Warren the target of the gay and lesbian communities. What has this accomplished? Christians are rallying
around Warren. Is this what you want? Making Warren a martyr is NOT the answer. Warren is now famous worldwide. That is an unfortunate mistake! Choosing to make war over Warren was a poor choice!
http://www.ibelievethis.us
And please, stop the "Christians are rallying around Warren." crap. I'm a Christian...as is my entire Church, and guess what? No "rallying." And frankly, so what! Injustice is injustice. Bigotry is bigotry and those who disagree must expose it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nXq0wO5-n0&NR=1 which I find more informative.
Frankly, Warren is no Hitler! I take STRONG exception to the comparison!! That is way overboard! Hitler murdered gays and Jews. Warren has done either. As already stated, I do not like Warren. I'll leave it there. We are not going to agree on this issue. I wish you well!
http:///www.ibelievethis.us
So what type of example does that set for the inauguration? Why should someone with those views, be handed the 'global microphone' that is his invitation to the inauguration?
What if in turn, Obama had offered a speaking role to someone like Christopher Hitchens, who feels that christians are delusional at best & responsible for many of the nation's & world's problems?
Would you merely sit back on your haunches & applaud like a trained seal?
I am not a Christian. I do not believe Jesus is the messiah or that the New Testament is Divinely Inspired. Many Christians are evangelical. Even they do much good with food programs etc. many people are angered by Christians who try to recruit them. I feel like Christians are responsible for some of the worlds problems BECAUSE they will NOT let people live as they choose! One has to believe their way or else it's HELL in more ways than one.
http://www.ibelievethis.us
"By the historical standards of presidential hubris, Obama’s disingenuous defense of his tone-deaf invitation to Warren is nonetheless a relatively tiny infraction. It’s no Bay of Pigs. But it does add an asterisk to the joyous inaugural of our first black president. It’s bizarre that Obama, of all people, would allow himself to be on the wrong side of this history."
This may be a "tiny infraction" to Rich and other well-meaning, straight liberals, but to me as a gay man, it is a huge kick in the stomach. That some Democrats feel compelled to placate, cater to, and legitimize elements of the far-right, whose core values do not include defense of human rights, speaks to the shallowness of their own beliefs. Some may argue that Obama represents a new "post-modern" type of politician, to whom bridging differences takes priority over every thing else, core values and core constituencies be damned. Time will tell, but leadership that lacks a moral compass won't take us very far. Maybe the silver lining is that the LGBT community will become more unified and determined that our human rights will be recognized, acknowledged, and affirmed, presidential leadership be damned.