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Here we go again.
The North Carolina Legislature has passed a bill to allow its citizens to vote on a state constitutional amendment against gay marriage.
The majority of folks in NC are against this amendment but that is considered a minor detail by the organizations and people pushing it.
They are always quick to point out that other states which have polled against state constitutional amendments against gay marriage passed them when voters had the chance to register their opinions via the ballot box.
Of course the truth is not that simple. The untold narrative usually goes like this:
People in the targeted states are so generally worried about more pressing issues that they allow their legislatures to be the first salvo in what can be called an invasion, i.e. laying the groundwork by passing a bill, thereby forcing constituents to vote on the matter.
Then an organization – usually the National Organization for Marriage – is the second part of the invasion via its virtually unlimited funds supplied by secret donors (which the group has fought tooth and nail not to reveal), that pays for the inundation of robocalls, mailers, and commercials spinning a multitude of lies about gays harming children or gays persecuting Christians, or gays causing all sorts of mayhem in general if the amendment is not passed.
At the same time, the organization stroke the egos of area pastors and public leaders. The organization, combined with these pastors and public leaders, gain votes by:
- picking a needless war with the gay community over the definition of “civil rights,”
- spooking people into thinking that God will literally send the Angel of Death to smite them if they don’t vote for the amendment,
- and scaring people into thinking that gays are going to knock down their front doors and cart them off to jail or convert their children if they don’t vote for the amendment.
The organization – again usually NOM – wins the vote and while it brays about how “the community stood up to protect marriage,” the community in actuality deals with strife, hard feelings, broken families, and generally not understanding why their votes to “protect marriage” hasn’t put food on their tables, more money in their paychecks, or made their lives better.
It’s like some religious version of that Simpsons episode about the monorail. But instead of a faulty monorail, people are being sold a faulty premise that the biggest harm to their marriages are their gay and lesbian neighbors and if they make it difficult for these folks to marry, then somehow the real things that harm marriages – i.e. lack of communication or poverty (a subject none of these “we need to protect marriage” groups seem to ever address) will suddenly disappear.
It’s time for this “we need to protect marriage” con to die. And it will. It could happen in North Carolina or Minnesota. Both states are facing anti-marriage equality votes next year. Or it could happen before then. But rest assured, it will happen.
As our economic crisis looms and Republicans go tete-a-tete with the President, people are starting to get hip to these distracting amendment pushes which exploit their religious beliefs while doing nothing to solve the problems they have gaining employment, feeding their families, or paying their mortgages.
They say that a lie travels around the world before the truth has time to put on its shoes. What they always forget to mention is that when truth does put on its shoes, it usually makes up for lost time.
In the case of these phony “protect marriage” votes, I have a feeling that truth is just about to slap on its sneakers.
5 Comments
not to be a debbie downer but i’ve lost hope. these folks just keep winning. almost every time straight people vote on our rights we lose. makes me feel like a sucker for trying to do anything in an ethical manner or pay taxes on time. when you are treated like you aren’t worth a shit then why try? it isn’t going to count.
I disagree, swabby. It always counts because the bottom line, eventually, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon (an I am begining to believe more and more in my lifetime) these folks will loose. When they do it will become, as Pam stated in her post on NOM and the Maine Campaign Finance loss, a pyrric victory. One that will leave a legacy of smarting for those who were not on the right side of history. Yeah, it’s hard; change is never easy, but it happens, even if, as Queen Laifah’s character says in Hairspray, one toe at a time.
In addition to combating the meme from the anti-gay groups, we, also, need to combat the apathay from people who may not go to the polls because there’s nothing of interest for them to vote on. The amendment doesn’t effect them directly, so *shrug*. We’re starting to see a change in that with businesses speaking up about the harm it causes to them for recrutment and retention. An argument that is helped by seening places where marriage equality is law and it’s tangible economic impact. We need to run more with this ball and get to making people care. Making them see how it can and will effect them indirectly. If we do this, coupled with battling the decade plus old “protect marriage” parroting, then we can really achieve some change.
So feel a bit down for a little while, swabby, but then roll up your sleves and get to work to do everthing you can to ensure that this DOESN’T pass.
Good point Alvin. If this con game works, who knows what the Republicans will do next?
There is cause for some hope. The co founder of Facebook, originaly from North Carolina, has said he is committed to fighting this ammendment. He has just this weekend raised the awareness in NC and all over America about what is happening in NC and what it means, when he offered to donate $10 for every person who “liked” Equality NC on Facebook.
Thing is, they actually do want to “protect marriage”… the traditional white picket fence, 2.5 kids, barefoot & pregnant, races shouldn’t mix, religions shouldn’t mix, poor people shouldn’t breed, single mothers will burn in Hell type of Christian marriage.
The voters need to be reminded that this animosity towards non-traditional families probably includes their families as well and that if they allow these folks to piggyback their way into office on the marriage amendment issue, their families are next up on the Republican chopping block.
When you lose hope, the haters win. It’s not supposed to be easy but it will happen. NEVER lose hope.