Hello, intellectual comrades and Internet enthusiasts! This has been long coming. Though I am (admittedly) not the most eloquent or loquacious author out there, my fondness for the written word has always trumped pure ability. Written word, sung word, anything strummed out to a poetic beat or lyrical train of thought... that's where you'll find me. In the clouds. Always. So hello, fellow dashboard drummers! It's nice to meet you.
As a newcomer to the blogosphere, I am hesitant to publish any rambling thoughts re: election/Prop 8/virtually anything political. However, conceding to one of many current social preoccupations, I offer my two cents on a single issue: same-sex marriage. I assure you that nothing I say is new. However, if you too find yourself under the crest of an issue that unexpectedly and irrevocably pushes your buttons, read on. Perhaps you can expand my mindset. I welcome you to try.
On Tuesday, November 4, same-sex marriage appeared on the ballots of three states in this great Union: Arizona, Florida, and- of course- California. The land of sunshine and optimism. The granddaddy of progressivism. The trend-setter of the nation. The... betrayer of fundamental freedoms? No, wait. That can't be correct.
Yet, it is. Along with its two aforementioned partners in crime, California passed Proposition 8 (its ban on gay marriage) with an astounding 52.5% to 47.5% of the state's popular vote, breaching a margin of 500,000 individual "yes" bubble-ins. The kicker: those groups that came out in droves to vote for the nation's first African American president, thereby exercising a sense of inclusion henceforth unfelt in our highest office, actually edged that margin over the halfway mark. One would think that a historically oppressed minority would shy away from shuffling discrimination down the social ladder. But, perhaps that's the glory of California... "equal" opportunity allows for unequal treatment. Silly me for assuming otherwise.
Now, I am the last to attribute the outcome to the state's minorities, having come from an evangelical household myself and been a nail-digging participant/observer in no less than six church services solely focused on Prop 8. True, I am a political liberal. I believe in equality and human dignity; in choice and personal liberty. Despite these generally "misguided" values, however, I am also decently open-minded (see: definition of liberal). As such, I voluntarily explored this issue from every angle out there. I attended the services with as open a mind as possible, furiously scribbling mental notes, Bible verses, and quotes from various speakers. I listened to hours of commentary from my ultra-conservative parents and church-going friends. I spoke with members of the homosexual community about the tangible and psychosocial impact of the ballot measure. I re-read Romans. I also re-read the Constitution. At every turn, I've felt an immeasurable pull of conscience and compassion toward those American citizens publicly vilified in this debate. No matter the arguments and the outcome, Prop 8 is wrong, wrong, wrong. You'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise, and here's why...
That about sums it up. All arguments of separation of church and state, universal love, autonomy, Constitutional freedom, definition of marriage, backlash against the church, etc really come down to respect, anyway. Respect others as you respect yourself. End of story. I'm off my soapbox.
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