I’m young. I’m sorry. I never thought I would have to apologize for that.
Sorry if I am idealistic or if I am not jaded enough. 2008 was not the best year for me personally. In fact it was the worst of my 23 years on this earth, but I made it! Obama’s victory was oh so sweet but man where there some bitter moments in there.
I love politics and I love being a liberal/progressive/umm..just smart but this year I discovered that solidarity is just a catchphrase in this community and that the tent really isn’t that big.
follow me for an explanation...
It all started with the primary battle. My own party left me feeling belittled, degraded and wholly unequal. No, not because I was black and chose to support Obama instead of the wife of the nation’s "first Black president." I get it, 90% is pretty high, plus I always expected race to be brought up so of course that was no biggie. But, I was caught off guard by the animosity towards me because I was young and had the audacity to take part in democracy and actually believe in something and someone.
Isn’t this the party that spent a decade demonstrating against the Vietnam War? Blog after Blog was full of posts that expressed resentment towards the fact that Obama had harnessed the power of college campus organizations and social networking sites. The youth was targeted as immature and gullible enough to believe the "hype"
Excuse me, but I do believe there was this little thing called an amendment to this kind of BIG thing called a Bill of Rights stating that any U.S. citizen over the age of 18 was allowed to vote. I think that by proxy indicated that the judgment of 18 year olds was deemed appropriate by our government.
How dare then members of MY own "progressive" community put me, my generation and our choice down simply because of our age. How do you feel a connection with people that speak of your idiocy and label you as young losers who sit in pajamas in their parents’ basements? Really though? What happened to us being the FUTURE?
So, then Hillary concedes, the party begins the healing process and a common enemy proves a worthy unifier. Sarah Palin, allowed me to go to read Armando(BTD)’s great blog TalkLeft, without feeling as if I were on a conservative site and even made Taylor Marsh tolerable. I thought to myself, all’s well that end’s well. I know that the internet and blogs should not make me cry because people with the cover of anonymity say things that are purposefully hateful.
I read the yahoo boards about Obama everyday before all the racists forced Yahoo to disable the comments feature. That was no big deal.
I could write those people of as racists and idiots. But I never expected to read similar remarks from progressive blogs.
Then November 5, 2008 happened. My voice was slowly returning and the champaign had worn off. Then the realization that we had lost such an important battle in my home state of California became apparent. Prop H8 passed despite my phone banking and my vandalism of stealing Yes on H8 yard signs. ( I know it’s bad. BUT how do people get away with advertising Hate??) I guess I was spoiled. I began working for Obama in 2007 and after a victorious primary and general I thought I had the Midas touch.
Silly me.
That defeat stung. But not as much as logging on to my favorite site to find the blame game and people’s hurt being turned toward my community. I don’t really have the energy to refute the various points and they have already been diared but once again, MY community made me feel left out.
And then, right when I think we are getting over the division once again, Hurricane Warren hits. Look, I’m confused. What category do I fall into seeing as how I stood on the corner across the street from a group of Prop H8 supporters every night the week leading up to the election being called a "fag" by passersby and finding my feelings slightly hurt oddly enough and being confused by the anger.
I don't have many gay friends (in fact many supported prop H8 despite my desperate pleas) I am not gay BUT I never considered myself a homophobe.
Why is my support not sufficient?
Why am I not allowed to NOT understand the fuss about Warren?
I think most ppl associate the man with "The Purpose Driven Life" I know I remember him because of that lady that was kidnapped from a courthouse in Atlanta and read the book to her captor and I believe it motivated him to finally release her. (Does this sound vaguely familiar?)
Anyway, I guess my point is that it is sad to see that my fellow humans are so hurt and disappointed by a decision. I just don't understand the need to demonize Obama, those of us who view the invite as slight but not quite a knife in the back.
What is the point of having a tent if every time we have a setback of disagreement we villainies each other. This is my party too. I know I am not Gay, I am sorry I am young and yes you can count me as part of the 90% plus of blacks that voted for Obama, but I want to not feel marginalized and to not fear exclusion because of a differing opinion.
What good is solidarity if it doesn’t apply to all groups?
I'll ask is that we stop and think if our anger may be at atimes misdirected and if we are perhaps losing our chance at a united voice by beating up on each other.
Can we all just get along? :)