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Politics : View from the Center and Left

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To: Lane3 who wrote (559)	6/9/2005 9:01:26 AM
From: Dale Baker	Read Replies (4) of 541582

Whatever backlash it may have caused, the advances we saw in civil rights in the last 50 years were more than worth it, IMHO, even if we still rank behind some other countries on issues like gay rights. The move by some cities and states to formalize gay marriage was a good example of what you outlined, a gradual series of experiments that set a precedent that eventually becomes national policy. Too bad it was knocked down by higher courts along the way. The school clubs being victimized in that article are another great example of local initiative that shouldn't be knocked down by folks who are prejudiced. I haven't looked at detailed polling information on homosexuality lately. If it's a case where there are majorities in favor of pragmatic measures like work benefits for gay partners, civil unions, etc. that would be the starting point. Beyond that you would need a consistent call from the middle and the left to advance homosexual rights as a human rights and equal protection issue. Lots of folks won't like it. When I was growing up in Texas, I heard lots of nasty remarks about the few interracial couples who dared to appear in public. Today I see interracial families in the malls and no one takes the slightest notice. I don't think my pet causes will be easy or popular to implement tomorrow (legalizing soft drugs and prostitution and full rights for gay individuals and couples). But if I had a soapbox beyond SI, I would be making the case as often as I could. I agree that if we do it through a series of court decisions rather than legislation, the resentment and backlash will be around for a few decades, just like the resistance to minority and women's rights played out. Finally, I can adapt to just about any kind of diversity except intolerance. That's just my fundamental world view. The only people banned from this thread were demonizing others that they can't tolerate. Not worth my time and attention. You can say that my not accepting intolerance is paradoxical and maybe hypocritical. I never found a sufficiently convoluted rationale to explain it.

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