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07/08/2008
Video: Gays. Marriage. Florida. Yada, Yada, Yada
We're not sure how recent they are, but the point man for banning marriage equality in Florida, John Stemberger, has just posted some clips from a on a local news program appearance during which he tried to justify his unreasoned and cruel attempts to foist targeted discrimination into the Sunshine State's most precious governing document. Check out three clips from that appearance:
(*It's important to note that the clips were edited by Stemberger's organization, so we would imagine that anything not to his liking was left out. For instance, notice how anchor Michael Putney is suddenly cut off at the end of clip two)
You know what will be truly great? When reporters won't even have to dignify these deeply offensive talking points as if they are merely one side of a two-sided debate! Debates on whether or not a ban is "needed," whether or not it will affect folks outside of the gay community, and whether or not other issues are important -- while political reality forces pro-gay folks to take and refute the bait, it's insulting that any of us even have to entertain those ideas! It is more than enough that this ban, like the 27 that have passed before it, turn the constitution into a weapon against the love shared by tax-paying citizens of the state! Nothing else need be said. The ban is wrong because it's F***ING WRONG!
What has always galled us about this whole "protect marriage" conversation is that these self-appointed moral authorities have strategically shaped it so that the situation looks more like a needed roundtable discussion rather than what it truly is: A one-sided attack -- and yes, it is an ATTACK! -- against the community of decent human beings who they, per their religious beliefs, feel obliged to demonize.
It's clear to many that be it five, ten, or one hundred years, we will someday look back on this wave of bald-faced discrimination and recognize it for what it was. We, however, would argue that it won't only be those who dedicated their days and nights to legislating morality for whom future citizens will have "How could you?" questions. We would predict that some scrutiny will also fall on the hundreds of thousands of would-be, should-be allies who, rather than take a principled stand for the gays and lesbians who were being beaten down at the hand of tyranny, instead stood on the sidelines and let this society-weakiening, time-wasting fiasco play out like a simple civilized debate towards which we can all just "agree to disagree." The attacks may be far more hurtful, but the complacency has kept the beatings going on for far longer than need be.
Your thoughts
I suppose it may be right along the lines of 45 years. It will be 45 years to the day from MLK 'I Have a Dream' Speech when Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for President. Quite a precedent.
Posted by: LOrion | Jul 9, 2008 12:00:42 AM
That Sternberger guy said "underminded" in the first clip....perhaps if he learned english he wouldn't be such a homophobe.....
Posted by: JOHN NORMILE | Jul 9, 2008 5:31:06 PM
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