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Road and Radio Rage
Jun. 6th, 2006 10:21 pmHail Satan! A happy 6-6-06 and National Day of Slayer to all the blasphemous heathens out there.
My Omen Day was largely one of frustration: slow and ponderous editing work, feeling behind on housework, and running around trying to get niggling errands done. The two big frustrations of the day were getting stuck in traffic and listening to National Public Radio, which is normally a source of news and relaxation for me.
The first, I'm sure most are familiar with, it just betokens the beginning of the season that follows Spring here in New England: Construction. Night construction, in this case, which had traffic slowed to a one-lane crawl for miles before the exit I needed off the Everett Turnpike. Just a long opportunity to reflect on the stupidity of my fellow humans when we're stuck in a herd together.
Speaking of human stupidity, on the way out to do my errands, I got to listen to On Point tackle the issue of gay marriage, and how Reverend Eugene Rivers believes "gay activists" have "hijacked" the black civil rights movement (as if anyone "owned" the concept of civil rights). Basically it boiled down to "black civil rights is a righteous cause, but gays? That's different" (despite host Tom Ashbrook repeatedly pointing out that Dr. and Mrs. King apparently said otherwise).
Reverend Rivers? You're right: the struggle faced by gay people in our nation is not like the struggle faced by African-Americans. It's different, but that doesn't mean it's easier. For one thing, no black kid has ever had to come home from school, sit down with his parents and fearfully tell them, "Mom, Dad, I think I might be black." No black kid has been beaten by his parents for being black. No black kid has been thrown out of his own home by his parents for being black, or ostracized from his family for it. Gay people can "blend" (some of us, anyway) and, because of that, we're expected to "fit in." Invisibility is our protection, but also our prison.
The funny thing about the "gay marriage" issue is how much the word "marriage" is a sticking point: many, even Rev. Rivers, admit that same-sex partners should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Personally, as long as I get the same legal rights, I don't care if you call it a "civil union." I'm not going to get "married" anyway (we pagans get "handfasted"). On the other hand, I imagine a lot of my non-pagan queer brothers and sisters might want to have a "marriage," and I don't overly care for a solution that amounts to "separate, but equal," since we all know how well that works...
But then, apparently, there's just no comparison, according to Rev. Rivers.
My Omen Day was largely one of frustration: slow and ponderous editing work, feeling behind on housework, and running around trying to get niggling errands done. The two big frustrations of the day were getting stuck in traffic and listening to National Public Radio, which is normally a source of news and relaxation for me.
The first, I'm sure most are familiar with, it just betokens the beginning of the season that follows Spring here in New England: Construction. Night construction, in this case, which had traffic slowed to a one-lane crawl for miles before the exit I needed off the Everett Turnpike. Just a long opportunity to reflect on the stupidity of my fellow humans when we're stuck in a herd together.
Speaking of human stupidity, on the way out to do my errands, I got to listen to On Point tackle the issue of gay marriage, and how Reverend Eugene Rivers believes "gay activists" have "hijacked" the black civil rights movement (as if anyone "owned" the concept of civil rights). Basically it boiled down to "black civil rights is a righteous cause, but gays? That's different" (despite host Tom Ashbrook repeatedly pointing out that Dr. and Mrs. King apparently said otherwise).
Reverend Rivers? You're right: the struggle faced by gay people in our nation is not like the struggle faced by African-Americans. It's different, but that doesn't mean it's easier. For one thing, no black kid has ever had to come home from school, sit down with his parents and fearfully tell them, "Mom, Dad, I think I might be black." No black kid has been beaten by his parents for being black. No black kid has been thrown out of his own home by his parents for being black, or ostracized from his family for it. Gay people can "blend" (some of us, anyway) and, because of that, we're expected to "fit in." Invisibility is our protection, but also our prison.
The funny thing about the "gay marriage" issue is how much the word "marriage" is a sticking point: many, even Rev. Rivers, admit that same-sex partners should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. Personally, as long as I get the same legal rights, I don't care if you call it a "civil union." I'm not going to get "married" anyway (we pagans get "handfasted"). On the other hand, I imagine a lot of my non-pagan queer brothers and sisters might want to have a "marriage," and I don't overly care for a solution that amounts to "separate, but equal," since we all know how well that works...
But then, apparently, there's just no comparison, according to Rev. Rivers.
