We are hearing the call of the "fierce urgency of now" to support full marriage equality for all Americans. Many have focused attention on converting, shaming, or boycotting the most extreme opponents into supporters.
But, did not civil and national rights heroes like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi show us that victory in these kinds of heroic endeavors is achieved by firing up the courage of supporters, those already partially sympathetic, or undecided or on the edge, but not by converting the strongest opponents.
Our best hope of achieving full civil rights and equality for all Americans, and our best strategic leverage point now, seems to be when we finally convince you, President Elect Obama, and other Democratic leaders, bloggers, and party members to upgrade from your current support of civil unions only, to full marriage equality for all Americans.
The recent study for New Jersey. published tonight, shows that the seperate but equal, civil unions only approach is not working. With your brilliant leadership and capabilities, Mr. President, we will be able to convince the rest of the middle and other partially sympathetic folks that the time for such change is finally upon us, and that it socially accepted and OK, finally to support marriage equality, and that it is time to get back to the original meaning of the "fierce urgency of now."
I have been an all out supporter of you, and every Democratic presidential nominee, and even supported the civil union compromise stances of yourself, Clinton, Kerry, and Gore out of pure Machiavellian political calculus, to enhance our chances of winning the elections. And, although I have apologized to my GLBT brothers and sisters for my own moral hypocrisy, I still believe this may have been the only way we could have won.
But now that we have won such strong positions, it is now time to have courage and fire up our will to step up to this historic opportunity to do the right thing.
When our Democratic Party did this in the civil rights era, and supported the Voting Rights Act, and drove George Wallace and other racists out of the party, it cost us the southern states we still have not won back. But it was the right thing to do, and this courage won the loyalties of many of the African American communities for lifetimes and probably generations to come.
We have another opportunity to do the same now with the GLBT communities. And if we don't do this soon, I fear we risk allowing ourselves with tagged with comeback line, we have really changed the meaning to "the fierce hypocrisy of moral complacency."
Let's have courage, inspired by the original profound meaning of Reverend King's "the fierce urgency of now" and finally take on the challenge to let all Americans onto the freedom train, and be an inspiration to all those around the world still denied equality and basic human rights. We should already be working on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the whole planet, and recommitting ourselves to the Geneva Conventions, renouncing the Bush Doctrine and returning to Just War theory, and support for the International Rule of Law. You could figure out a way to fit all of these ideas together in an excellent and most inspiring way for all people of the world.
So, President Elect Obama, will you please join us.
You have the brilliant leadership abilities to put us over the top and achieve a substantial success here. Perhaps, much more quickly than most believe is possible now. I am not sure we have anyone else as talented and credible enough, except you that could accomplish this. Please help out some of your strongest supporters, and do what you must know deep in your own heart is the right thing.
Articulating such a grand vision and commitment now, before your inaugaration, could be a brilliant way to fire up our collective passions to unite around our other many economic and political challenges, and would allow all of us to fully celebrate equality and full civil rights for all and these other wonderful accomplishments.
If we miss this opportunity, we risk appearing to gorge ourselves on a great celebratory feast, while our GLBT brothers and sisters look in through the window, still hungry for basic freedoms the rest of us take for granted. And after the GLBT communities have helped African Americans, women, Jews, and other ethnic and religious minorities get on the freedom train, what a sad and poignant cloud will hang over us, if we will only let them take the bus, and then add insult to injury to suggest out of further loyalty to our party, we ask that they should continue to sit patiently in the back of the bus, until the majority is more ready to recognize their equality.
I have been keeping quite about this even though it has been troubling me deeply, so as not to upset my teammates at such a happy time. But DMiller convinced me I have been morally wrong about this with the following quote from Reverend King earlier this evening to a comment wherein I made some milder but similar points.
I think the Rev. King would disagree with you about worrying about cheesing off "our side."
I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
Emphasis added by DMiller]
Letter from the Birmingham Jaill
So, President Elect Obama, I respectfully ask you to reconsider your support for the separate but equal "civil unions only" position and upgrade to full equality for all, now. And commit yourself, and our party to working over the next four years of your first term to do everything possible to make this vision a reality. Through, out this backward "don't ask don't tell" which is depriving our military of so many talented Americans who wish to serve our nation. Support ENDA, for all including the transgendered. And encourage the states to pass law providing full marriage rights for all.
The whole world is watching and waiting to see how much courage we have, and how deep and sincere is our commitment to full equality and civil rights truly is.
Surely, someone who benefited so much from using "the fierce urgency of now" as a campaign slogun can empathize with the feelings of those inspired by the even more profound original meaning, Reverend King had when he originally coined the phrase to refute those asking him and other African American to more patiently wait in the back of the bus until our mainstream society was more tolerant of the legitimate and just changes sought.
Reverend King is now a hero for all who seek justice, equality and civil rights, not just for African Americans. That is why it is a national holiday for all, and this is the message our school children, including your wonderful daughters are learning, today.
But, many still do not believe mainstream society is ready yet for this change. Perhaps, you also do not believe this yet.
But many of us have been so inspired by your tremendous talents, we believe you could be the person who could help us win them over.
So will you please join us and help our GLBT brothers and sisters get to the promised land of full equality and civil rights with all the rest of us?
Then, we will still face the tremendous challenge of taking on an even bigger challenge to bring equality and civil rights to all the people of the world.
Thank You,
HoundDog,
www.dailykos.com
PS. Oh, and one more thing, Mr. President. May I suggest in your acceptance speech and all future State of The Union speech when you close with the traditional "May God bless America" you add "and all the people of the world."
This will symbolically signal to people around the world, that America is finally having a change of heart and awareness and is emerging from a dark and deep narcissistic slumber. And that you and we are again ready to join with others in trying to be leaders and help the whole world confront our enormous global challenges.
So let me close by saying "May God Bless you, President Obama, and your family, the United States of America, and all the people of the world as we move forward a new era of hope and working together to make the world a better place for all.