12/18/2008
Outrage over Warren
This article describes the proponents of gay rights being outraged by Obama's choice of warren to offer the invocation at the inauguration. One person is quoted as saying "if anyone is under any illusion that Obama is interested in advancing gay equality, they should probably sober up now." This is the problem with people who only care about one political issue. Every decision made is framed in terms of that one issue. It seems to happen with the extreme pro lifers and extreme gay rights activists the most. But honestly, the guy is saying a prayer at Obama's inauguration, he didn't get appointed secretary of homosexuality. Obama campaigned on unity, and what better way to unify than to invite an evangelical to participate in the inauguration. Obama picked an evangelical who has taken a stance on certain issue that many people will not agree with but, at least from what i am reading on this, he is not out there inciting hatred like many others are. So here is my advice, if you are going to be a one issue voter, shut up about your opinion. For most of us, not every decision is about that one issue that you care so dearly about, so stop framing every decision a person makes in terms of that one issue. If you care about it, fine work for it, but realize that the world has more concerns than your one issue.
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5 comments:
Sully's problem is that he projected his own beliefs onto the cipher Obama, ignoring O's cool distance from gay rights (avoiding being photographed w/s.f. mayor newsome). It's funny to hear sullivan suggest people sober up, given how thoroughly partisan he's been.
I think that this warren stuff wouldn't be an issue but for 2 things:
1-Obama was so generic & unknown that libs projected their highest hopes onto him.
2-the prop 8 passage was a devastating loss. It took civil rights away from a whole class of people, and that's just outrageous. While I appreciate bringing people together and unity, prop 8 was ridiculously divisive. Taking away what you once had is a wholly different animal from not having it at all, and Warren's facing blowback for his support.
Which is to say that from a certain point of view, warren is an intrinsically divisive figure.
I think you are absolutely right that he is a divisive figure to the people who have gay rights as the only or biggest issue for them. And I can certainly see the point that prop 8 was a hard loss for the gay community. however, my point is that from a one issue perspective you are either ecstatic or depressed over every decision, and unable to see that while you may not have made a choice there is a legitimate reason for the choice. You know I am pro life, but i had numerous arguments with my paralegal this past election about whether a vote for obama was the beginning of the apocolypse because he is pro choice.
In this case there are reasons to ask warren to do this that have nothing to do with gay rights. but instead of recognizing those reasons it is a huge sign that obama hates gays.
Here's my take: There are some issues that are so important that, if you take the "wrong" position on them, you are essentially disqualified from political office or from honored speaking invitations. For example, if you were openly opposed to interracial marriage, or if you were in favor of placing all Muslim-Americans in internment camps, you simply would not be called to give a speech at an inauguration, regardless of whether your speech had anything to do with those views and regardless of your other qualifications.
Obviously, we have not reached the point where gay civil rights are so accepted that being against them is such a fringe position. But for many gay rights supporters, its seems like we should be there, and like we might get there in the next couple of decades with the right political leadership. And by calling on Warren, Obama is saying that getting us there is not particularly high on his priority list.
So basically, I don't think the gay rights view is that Obama hates gays, but that gay civil rights are not a top priority for him. Which, if you're in a position where your civil rights are being recognized one day and taken away the next, is a pretty sucky thing to have to come to terms with.
Ok, so I just went to facebook and happened to see a gay friend's status update that reads as follows: "[My friend] thinks if Proposition 8 had been about, say, race or religion, instead of sexuality, Rick Warren would be nowhere near D.C. on Inauguration Day." So, yeah, I think the problem is that gay rights don't have the status of rights regarding race or religion.
I didnt respond to your comments panda, but I wanted to. I think you hit the nail on the head as far as why gay rights activists are outraged by this. But I still think that it shows the inherent weakness of political 1 issuers.
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