Bittersweet

I am so disheartened today. On the wake of such a monumental milestone of Obama becoming president-elect, it is so bittersweet to know that the majority of Californians just YANKED away civil rights from so many!! In an election with resounding liberal triumphs, the principle of equality suffered such a discouraging defeat as California voters actually approved a ban on same-sex marriages.

To me, the euphoria of the Obama win is a bit marred today by the cruel bigotry directed at the gay population. It was not long ago that interracial couples were fighting for the right to marry one another. It took years of reasoning, protesting and battling to educate the ignorant as to the ridiculousness of such a limitation. Today, we look back in horror and disgust that our laws ever included such bigotry and racism. Yet this simple principle; that equality, freedom and justice is for ALL and applies to EVERYONE, still remains so difficult for the "sheeple" to understand.

To those who voted "Yes" on Prop 8, am I to assume that the United States Constitution doesn't mean much to you?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"

sounds so much better than,

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal UNLESS YOU'RE GAY".

or that

"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"

sounds so much better than,

"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws UNLESS YOU'RE GAY".

The irony is incredible and disheartening. I was so overcome with emotion this morning that I literally had to cry to get out some of the frustration from knowing that so many amongst us have declared that it is alright to treat another person as though they matter less.

I could write it a million different ways and still not be able to express the intense emotion and vexation I feel over this. I just cannot believe that people's fear, divisiveness, hatred, ignorance and self-righteousness gets SO CONVOLUTED and ends up resulting in actually TAKING RIGHTS AWAY and deeming anyone unworthy of such basic equality.
Shame on the bigots (and shame on the Mormons, in particular) for bearing false witness, distorting the truth and abridging the rights of other citizens.

It is such a bitter pill to swallow, but we just can't allow falsities or shallow tactics to deter us from fighting harder for the equality for ALL. The fight must continue. We WILL make a difference. We have to. One step forward - two steps back is what we were handed ... but we've got to get three steps in and educate and bring awareness to the severity of this injustice until "they" GET IT, CHANGE and once-and-for-all allow everyone in this nation the right to move forward, to be equal, and to be free!!!

j-boo