Someone will probably dot COM that title by tomorrow. I could not think of any expression more befitting the events of this week. It was strange, and a bit gay. There was “watch out for nose-diving Dow.” There were falling gas prices along with bargain basement stock prices, a veritable “fire sale” on Wall Street. There was Bill Clinton musing about monopolies and the media. There was Bush at a news conference before going on his umpteenth vacation pulling back on illegal alien giveaways—too late. There were the candidates talking to the unions in Chicago, my kind of town. Then there were the one-on-one talks by candidates with journalists, before, during and after speaking engagements; later the gay-issues forum sponsored by Visible08. This week's "biggie-wiggie:" the primary/caucus musical-chair moveups! Yes, people could be voting in December for candidates. "'This action today does not force Iowa to go into this year,'” Mr. Gardner said, noting that Iowa’s schedule would determine his. “'In the end it’s up to Iowa.'" Those were the weirdest headlines this week.
The most personal headline came to me via an unopened email from Visible08, hold me back—I thought my Spam filters had failed, or somehow gone limp. Why was I getting email from a gay Web site? Being the politico that I am I followed the link sans fear, even though I secretly worried it racy, judging by the ad at the top. Whoa, instead it was just one of those things about a candidate forum with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT). The democratic candidates probably did not want to be there, thank goodness candidate Jack Kennedy never had to sit on that hot seat. Nevertheless, the conventional wisdom is that it is a foregone conclusion; the Democratic Party will back legislation that helps the gay community. But the GOP also has a gay backer (now attacker) in the person of Mitt Romney. And the factoid surrounding Romney’s term as governor of Massachusetts: it became the first state in America to legalize gay marriage. But Romney, if nominated, will court the flip-flop voters on this and many other issues. While we are talking about Romney, what about his five sons, yes, he has five grown sons. Not one of them has enlisted and has no plans to enlist. They don’t need the-now-$25,000-enlistment bonus. What a week for war dodgers.
Article comments
1 - Marti Abernathey
"By now the LGBT has made it clear that their struggle is parallel to the civil rights struggle of black citizens."
Parallel? Was that put out in a press release I didn't see? Are you trying to compare victimhood here? If you want to dig into civil rights, you only have to go as far as Coretta Scott King, who said:
"I have worked too long and hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. Justice is indivisible.” Like Martin, I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others."
Google "Coretta Scott King" and "gay". You'll see what a supporter she was.
One of the most prominent men in the civil rights movement was Bayard Rustin. He's the dirty little secret that hardly anyone will talk about. Ya know that "March on Washington" that was so popular? I have a dream? That was Bayard's doing. Gandhi’s nonviolent protest techniques that were espoused by King? That's Rustin's doing too. The reason you don't hear about Rustin? He was openly gay.
"The entire gay world (of all colors) has laid their burden on the doorstep of civil rights groups"
Laid our burden at the doorstep of civil rights groups? You've got to be kidding me. We are doing it for ourselves.
Not every gay family uses three mommies or three daddies. Many adopt children that others throw away. You don't seem to be too worried about sperm banks that give to heterosexuals, but you mock gays and lesbians?
Your mocking attitude has seeds in the past.
"Intermarriage between whites and blacks is repulsive and averse to every sentiment of pure American spirit. It is abhorrent and repugnant. It is subversive to social peace. It is destructive of moral supremacy, and ultimately this slavery to black beasts will bring this nation to a fatal conflict"
-- Representative Seaborn Roddenberry (D-GA) - December 1912 | Gilmore, Al-Tony (1975). p.108 - Bad Nigger! The National Impact of Jack Johnson. Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat Press.
"Let this condition go on if you will. At some day, perhaps remote, it will be a question always whether or not the solemnizing of matrimony in the North is between two descendants of our Anglo-Saxon fathers and mothers or whether it be of a mixed blood descended from the orangutan-trodden shores of far-off Africa."
-- Representative Seaborn Roddenberry (D-GA) - December 1912 | Kristof, Nicholas D (March 3, 2004). Marriage: Mix and Match: New York Times
Growing up, I just couldn't believe that old saying about the oppressed becoming the oppressor. But it is true, and it's uglier than anything I've ever personally witnessed.
2 - Cooey Bono
I just saw a pretty weird episode of "Hardball" where they talked about age be a limiting factor for presidential contenders. What the hell, we're choosing politicians not soap opera stars!
3 - Heloise
LOL. And they thought my George and GOP article made no sense. Now you know where they get it from...LOL