As children, we are taught about the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr. It’s fair to say we are too young to fully grasp all the nuance of such turbulent times, and such atrocities as segregation are only conceivable as some distant past. But somewhere along the line I—as a child—realized that this happened in the 1950s and 60s and ergo my parents lived through it. They had been children, albeit, but they had lived through it. That was probably when the most important question occurred to me: how could people allow this to happen?
How, in an era so recent, could we legalize prejudice? The concept of a racist person was never foreign to me, but I couldn’t understand how the government—supposedly out to protect the people—could institutionalize segregation. How could Jim Crow laws ever come into effect, let alone survive into the 20th century? There are legislators still alive today who continuously voted in favor of segregation. Still, I wonder, how could this happen?
Then I see the rights of homosexuals oppressed, and I see what it must have been like to live in a world of Jim Crow.
There is no morally ambiguous area when it comes to civil rights and racism. No politician is going to come out and say, “Respectfully, Mr. President, you need to sit at the back of the bus” and no legislation is going to put forth any such requirement. If one did, we’d denounce it for what it is: bigoted. Why can we not do the same for gay rights?
I tend to be hot headed and closed-minded. When someone disagrees with my political beliefs, it is a challenge for me to remind myself that dissent is good and we must learn to work together. I must remind myself that I am just one opinion, and that—as strongly as I feel—other answers are also viable. But there is one area where I feel am right to be unmoving. Gay rights. This is not an issue where we ‘agree to disagree’ like health care, taxes, immigration, and economic policy. This is not a time for politicians to shake hands, smile, and say “Well I feel differently, let’s come to a compromise.” With gay marriage still up for debate, and with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell still in place, it’s time to call this mess what it is.
You see, another character flaw of mine is that I make absolutes. Even though I tell myself that I don’t believe in absolutes, I make all encompassing statements that often get me into trouble, and I have to scale back. That being said, I do not believe I am doing that right now. I think it’s perfectly fair—necessary, in fact—to strike down the Jim Crow laws of the 21st century. Because opposing gay rights is bigoted.
Politicians and lawmakers who oppose gay rights need to be called out for what they are: bigoted. Laws decrying gays and lesbians as second-class citizens need to be called what they are: bigoted. Yes, you are free to believe whatever religious creed you like, but the time has come to stop kowtowing to the ignorant, bigoted, prejudiced and selfish people of the country. You can make all the arguments you want, but let's not forget that Strom Thurmond managed to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for over 24 hours. The time has come for intelligent people to stop humoring the unintelligent.
In summary, I can agree to disagree with you on many subjects (or at least try). I understand that I am radically left. But it was not radically left to let African American students into Little Rock Central High School in 1957. It is not radically left to allow gays to serve openly in the military, or let them marry whom they love. It’s a civil right. So it’s not radically left to support gay rights. It’s bigoted to oppose them.
