Are Supporters Of The Anti Gay Amendment Really Just UnAmerican Bigots?

[ruggerson]

The answer is pretty simple.

Yes. Of course they are.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean was recently quoted as saying that the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was in reality just scapegoating gays and lesbians everywhere and that it was time to stand with the glbt community on this issue.

Religious rightwing groups and elements of the Republican base panic whenever a prominent politician frames the debate this way, however innocuously.

Matt Drudge, infotainment propogandist for the vast rightwing conspiracy, immediately put up a little blurb on his website claiming that Dean had called opponents of same sex marriage "bigots."

While Dean did not do this directly, it is clear that this is the framing that religious rightwingers fear most. Because this is the crux of the matter, the heart of the issue, and most Americans recognize truth instinctually when it is laid out for them. And because most Americans viscerally disapprove of discrimination.

Too many Democratic politicians are afraid to take an uncompromising, strong moral stand on this issue.

They will vacillate, they will equivocate and they will straddle. They will say "Marriage is between a man and a woman, but I support civil unions."

Americans don't like straddling and they don't like people who cannot be true to themselves and cannot bring themselves to take strong, committed stands.

The polling data, according to Gallup is quite clear on this issue. It is moving slowly, inexorably and permanently in favor of full marriage equality for gays and lesbians.

From the Gallup Poll May 8-11, 2006:

Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be
recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional
marriages?

• Should be valid: 39 percent
• Should not be: 58 percent
• Unsure: 4 percent

Would you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment that would define
marriage as being between a man and a woman, thus barring marriages
between gay or lesbian couples?

• Favor: 50 percent
• Oppose: 47 percent
• Unsure: 3 percent

On the constitutional amendment itself, the data is very encouraging: half the public supports it and half opposes it. 50/50. It is not a political risk for a Democrat to oppose this amendment. No constitutional amendment in modern times has ever been passed when the country is split down the middle on the issue.

Republicans try to frame this as a basic moral concept: marriage is between a man and a woman. This is how it has been traditionally for milleniums (so they posit) and this is how it should remain.

The only effective argument against an unequivocal moral pronouncement is another more powerful unequivocal moral pronouncement.

This country was founded on the notion that all men are created equal. And that we all have the same inalienable rights. This is an argument that trumps any posturing for the supposed history of marriage throughout civilization.

It is moral and right and good politics to frame this the proper way: if you support discrimination, yes, you are bigoted. You are un American.

Three simple words kill this wedge issue: DISCRIMINATION IS UNAMERICAN.

[Metta]

1. They can also be ignorant, pre-juding and fearful.

And lazy or malicious if they don't want to look at why.

[sutz12]

2. I agree

If Coulter can call Libs Traitors, we can call these assholes bigots.

That is exactly what it is.

[msongs]

3. gay bashing brings in tons of $$$$$$$$...that's what the bigots really

want, fear based religion = $$ for their own bloated lifestyles. Refer to Franklin Graham and his money grubbing ways.

what does the xtian/jewish bible say about rich people and the eye of a needle?

or do unto others?

or what you do to other people is what you do to me (Jesus)?

It's all about money.

and fear brings in the cash.

Msongs
www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
mugs and shirts

[MADem]

5. Not just fear, the fomenting of hatred,

Hey, I like the Red Sox, but I don't REALLY want to see YANKEE guts spread from Boston to NYC.

They rally their faithful like it's a team sport, and they're playing for the World Series victory. And they frame it as though letting people live their own lives will somehow take something AWAY from them.

So stupid people open their wallets, and contribute to perpetuate the hate.

[ruggerson]

6. I will be counting how many times Dem pols

have the guts tomorrow on TV to call this amendment what this really is:

pure, unadulterated, raw bigotry.

[ComerPerro]

4. Part of the reason conservatives hate "political correctness" so much

is because it hinders their right to be bigoted, racist, sexist assholes.