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2 comments:
Keith Olbermann gives an eloquent and poignant response here. His best and most important point is "This isn't about politics, this is about the human heart". The fact that Californians effectively banned gay marriage is not even the most disturbing part of the whole controverty- it is the campaign to do so.
In this commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PgjcgqFYP4 Californians are urged to vote for prop 8 so that their children will not be taught that gay marriage is possible. This campaign likens gay marriage to something that could corrupt children and erode our values. How could this be true, when, as Olbermann argues gay couples are really just trying to uphold such moral values as fidelity?
I agree with Olbermann- this is not about politics- it is about human rights, human dignity, and allowing all people to be true to their hearts.
For the issue of prop 8 and gay marriage I have now shut my mouth and pointed others to this video. It is so refreshing to see someone so moved about an issue, especially an issue that does not directly relate to him or one of his immediate family members. As both Keith Olbermann and Katie mentioned, this is about so much more than a proposition. It is about the human heart. Often I feel that we forget the purpose of all these laws and bills and propositions. Ultimately I feel that they are or should be concerned about the well-being of all of humanity, human happiness, and the human heart.
Keith Olbermann also made excellent points considering the "redefinition of marriage". If we had not "redefined" marriage, interracial marriages and marriages between slaves would not have been recognized. In a terrible twist of irony, many news programs commented on the fact that about 7 out of every 10 African Americans in California voted for prop 8. Though this it is not fair at all to completely pin this on the African American population, it brings up an interesting point about nonviolence in the future. That is, there will and there have been great atrocities committed against many different peoples. It is just a shame that as such a large step was taken in terms of electing Barack Obama a simultaneous regression took place too. Therefore for the sake of a nonviolent future we must never forget the atrocities from our past, but we must always use those memories to fight for the rights of others too.
I also enjoyed how Keith Olbermann mentioned that this is about the human heart and followed, "if that sounds corny, so be it." Indeed it is sad that when one talks about peace, love, and the heart that it can sound corny. For example Katherine and I found that Code Pink could became laughable when they conducted sing alongs and "hug-ins" for peace and love. Though this brings up an interesting point concerning an awareness of how we communicate our message (and I think Keith Olbermann was eloquent, articulate, and appropriate), if it sounds corny to fight for these noble causes, so be it. I also thought that Keith Olbermann appealed to the human conscience when he asked, "Is this what your religion tells you to do?" His subsequent quote of the golden rule was beautifully simply and I think serves as a great motto for nonviolent action.
Lastly I found his use of Darrow's quote from the Leopold and Loeb case to fit perfectly.
Though the two boys committed a disgusting crime, Darrow pleaded for loving mercy. In the same way many people may find gay marriage disgusting, "this isn't about yelling, this isn't about politics, this is about the human heart".
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