Olbermann on Prop. 8

All Humans are Equal but some Humans are more Equal than Others

Living in the Conservative Heartland of California is just a pain in the ass. There are no benefits except that it may keep you politically grounded, but if being grounded means listening to bigots talk all day then count me out. Southern California and especially Orange County has an ugly history of hate and intolerance. Look at our most recent historical developments: a wave of anti-immigrant, anti-mexican sentiment, and unrepentant zeal for an un-constitutional discriminatory bill that will treat people differently under the law. It makes me cringe, it makes sweat gather in my balled up fists.
I was reading The Economist a few days ago they had an article touching on the situation in California:

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12522924

Many feelings ran through me during the read. Marve Perkins one of the speakers at the anti-gay rally in Los Angeles was said to conjure the apparition of Martin Luther King Jr. in one of his firery speeches. Why though? What did MLK have to say about discrimination in the 60's? Maybe the answers lie in Minnesota's public radio website:

' "I get livid when I hear about 'same sex marriage goes against the will of God,'" says Matthea Little Smith. "Well, black folks were chattel too, OK?"

Smith is an African American and a lesbian. She is also the daughter of Minnesota civil rights pioneer Matthew Little. Smith has six children and five grandchildren. She came out 20 years ago, after she and her husband divorced.

Smith supports gay marriage, even though she doesn't want to get married -- again. But she says gay marriage or civil unions are necessary for those same-sex couples who share property and children. Smith believes King would support that.

"Now's the time to make justice a reality to all of God's children," Smith says. "Now that's what Martin Luther King said. He didn't say, 'All of God's children who are not gay.' "

Well I guess that didn't make his stances more coherent. Corretta Scott King (widow of MLK) has stood up for the rights of Gays and Lesbians and has been open about her opposition to discriminatory bills. What puzzles me more about the speaker however is not that is evoking King....but that he is a black mormon. Mormonism has been an openly racist organization until the 1970's (now it's just a covertly racist one) Mormons didn't allow blacks to get obtain the priesthood in their church, and in their basic theological account of races it is the dark-skinned who have been cursed and marked for their sins, and the white (light-skinned) who are worthy of leadership and wealth. This is a clear demonstration of how the proponents of Prop. 8 have a lack of historical understanding. Perhaps Mr. perkins just forgot about the "curse of ham."

Mormons have had a huge hand in the funding and passing of Prop. 8. My Atheism has been dormant in political discussion for quite sometime (since it is usually always irrelevant) but the current constellation of events tempts me to bring it out. And I know I am not alone. This is why I am writing this blog. To address the same animosity building up in the left in regards towards religious folks. I've been seeing anti-christian posts, and anti-mormon posts, including ones that call for the church to no longer be tax exempt since it lobbied so heavily. (To refer to Section 501(c)(3) of US code title 26: , no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation)

This is just pointless banter, and as much as I would love to see the Mormon Church go down this is a distraction. A self-righteous self-assuring game that many who are "liberal" or radical do as a substituion for actual organizing. We need to organize around the principles of equality for all people. The Gay and Lesbian community don't care if the Mormon Church gets taxed or not. A Church paying taxes will not revoke Prop. 8 pressure from below will. Tens of thousands are taking to the streets in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. They are calling for equality, they are calling for justice, and they are calling for fair treatment and protection of all citizens. We've got to make this thing blow up like the French Revolution!

On a light not I would like to quote The Economist:

"Mr Perkins informed the crowd that gay marriage and tolerant school lessons are little more than “a recruiting process for homosexual behaviour”. Anybody who doubted the connection should take a look at Europe, where homosexuality is apparently rampant."