Rec If You Dont Know Everything and Aren't Perfect

mentalslavery

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Tue Dec-23-08 05:21 AM
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Rec If You Dont Know Everything and Aren't Perfect

Who is Divisive? Obama? Warren? Or Us?

As I read over the blogs and comments at a variety of different liberal blogs, I am struck by how quickly we have divided. Many post and comments appear to be attempts at being "correct" about what this means or why it is happening. Some people felt intimidated to express themselves. Really? Common liberals.

I will go first. I don't know why Obama made this choice, what it means, or why it is happening. Because I am not him. I have a multiple ideas that seem reasonable but none of them are new, and I guess I could be wrong. What I would like address is the source of division.

The division is within us, it has always been there. We could have responded to the Warren pick with unity. All "progressives" could have resoundingly rejected and condemned this pick. Correspondingly, �progressives� could have expressed our differences in a way that preserved unity. We could have, but we didn't.

Look, none of us are completely correct about this issue, own it, have suffered the most, or conducted ourselves perfectly. These are a series of questions that I have heard my friends express, read in post, or thought about while reading post. Think about some questions, share a question with others. Maybe, don�t try to answer them right away. But think about them. Is there just one answer for all these questions. Is it that simple. If it is that simple, then why are we struggling with it?

How is our behavior living up to the liberal idea's that we believe in? Name one person whose actions have such significant power over us that our behavior is really their fault? How should we feel about our general level of sensitivity?

If you are heterosexual and are asking others to "calm down" or "stop trashing Obama", then you are asking someone to modify themselves in an environment that is supposed to be supportive and progressive. It is symptomatic of the negative experiences that homosexuals have in heterosexual culture on a daily basis. Do you think that it might be more compassionate to for you to not say it? Do you think maybe you should modify yourself to make others feel more comfortable? Or is that what other people are supposed to do?

How often do you think about modifying yourself to make others feel more comfortable? If you are modifying yourself to make others feel more comfortable, would that be frustrating? Is frustration the only emotion you might feel? Is the fact that you don't instantly think about this "modifying", a form of prejudice? Who should have to make others feel comfortable and when? Should we expect others to make us feel comfortable? Is that just kind of the "normal" way things go?

If you are Homosexual and you are "telling people to calm down", is that better or worst? Does homosexual status make it ok. Do others feel betrayed? If another homosexual honestly feels that others should "calm down", should they modify themselves and not express it?

Why are we announcing our sexual orientation? If I tell you I am gay, is it really true? Can you confirm it? Might others feel that some are using this announcement to express things they could not, or would not, otherwise say?

If I am gay, and others know it to be true, because we talk all the time on these blogs, or maybe have meet in person, does that make it better?

Is this issue only, or primarily about sexual orientation? Do some people "get it" and others "just don't"? Who gets it more? Is it gays in California? Is that who gets it more?

Does the experience of not being able to walk down certain streets holding your same-sex partners hand, without threat of violence, mean that your pain is the worst?

OR

Is it the person in Mississippi, who has never enjoyed a stroll with their same-sex partner, who has experienced the most pain? Do we think about same-sex partners in Mississippi or Alabama, who are isolated, afraid to log on to one of these websites because someone might catch them doing it?

Is it our level of pain or the frequency of painful experiences the measure of whether we get it or don't get it? Is that healthy? If it is not, what might be a better measure of whether we get it or do not get it? Should we be trying to measure levels of understanding?

What should we be trying to do?

Is there a gay community and then supporters and allies? Do labels such as supporters and allies marginalized individuals? Are supporters and allies second class movement members? If a straight person does not understand what it is like to be gay, then do gay individuals understand what it is like to be a straight supporter? Is it important to understand what it is like to be a straight supporter? If straight supporters, who do not understand what it is like to be gay, fail to understand where another is coming from-deserve threats of exile?

What sacrifices do straight supporters make? If a straight supporter is violently attacked because they are a supporter, is that a hate crime? Do cultural norms regarding masculinity create unique strains for male supporters?

Are all those who we might label �social conservatives�, �fundamentalists�, or �right-wingers� evil and hateful? Children too? Are you sure we are going to get this right? Is this different than �Islamic Fascism�, �Terrorist�, and �Abortionist�? Will they ever change? Why did so many other religious practices, beliefs, ideas, values, or rituals change?