MOS-How the River is Fucked Up For All of Us

So things have gotten really nasty. I must admit that I thought that this McClurkin thing would have been a dead issue by now. I have always felt that the real story here was not Obamas' position on homosexuality but rather it was the spotlight being shown on Black attitudes regarding homosexuality. But here we are, a week or two removed and DUers are about to wage holy war with one another over this issue.

I think this issue is important and we need to continue to discuss why it is. And there are very pertinent reasons why we should:

MOS

McClurkin
Obama
Southwick

Donnie McClurkin is not important solely because a lot of LGBT people find him offensive. I say that not to minimize the anger and hurt at what a lot of our fellow progressives feel has been an out and out betrayal. I say that because McClurkin is a symbol of much more than homophobia and bigotry. He's important because he's a symbol of the how easily certain segments of the progressive movement and by inclusion, Democratic Party are easily sacrificed on the alter of political expediency. McClurkin is important not only because he's a flashpoint for igniting deep divisions among people who truly want to make this country a more just and more compassionate one. He's a flashpoint because in the minds of some, he morphs from being a human being with whatever beliefs he holds into a political chess piece, ready to be played when the time is right for the benefit of the player.

Barack Obama seems overall to be a decent guy. I can understand the protection that a lot of his supporters want to give him from what they feel are harsh and over the top criticisms. But the nature of our political system turns decent guys into chess players. And the game changes when you become a player as opposed to a piece in the game. I think Obama got some bad advice. What goes unsaid on many of the threads regarding this gospel tour issue is that Obama is really struggling to capture a sizable percentage of the Black vote. He and Clinton have split some very high profile Black endorsements. And quite frankly, I think his campaign didn't expect this. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that my community is not just lining up besides someone because they are Black. So in my mind, this whole fiasco is his campaign's attempt to lay claim to a voting bloc which I think they felt they had in the bag. Love em or hate em, the Black church still has a lot of influence on where our votes are cast.

So how does Leslie Southwick fit into this mix? It has been disheartening, to say the least, to see two progressive constituencies with so much in common and so much to lose be at one another's throats. Because, as we are ripping each other to shreds, there are forces that have neither of our interests at heart making moves to deny both of us an equal shake. Leslie Southwick, a judge who thought a White man calling a Black co-worker a nigger was analogous to calling him a teachers pet was appointed to a lifetime position on the 5th circuit court of appeals. That's right, a teachers pet. You can only imagine how he feels about Gays. He was confirmed to the bench this week after Diane Feinstein, a Democrat, cast the deciding vote to send his nomination to the senate for a vote. Harry Reid, another Democrat, The Senate Majority Leader, allowed the vote to happen, ensuring his confirmation. So a judge that has neither the interests of the Black or the LGBT communities at heart has been given a lifetime appointment to a very important seat. Sold down the fucking river on the altar of political expediency.

From the little bit I have been able to research, a man, who the Black community felt was very hostile to their interests. was appointed to a lifetime seat through the actions of two prominent Democrats because they wanted to gain leverage on some spending bills. A man who can adversely affect our concerns and struggles for the rest of his natural life was installed because it was deemed politically expedient by people on OUR side of the fence.


So Obama fucked up. And why is it so hard for some of his supporters to see that the same way a lot of us in the Black community feel about the betrayal of Feinstein and Reid, that our progressive LGBT members feel exactly the same way? And to our LGBT members, we get it. He fucked up. But that still doesn't change the fact that about 75% of the Black Community shares these may share these views and what constructive steps are we going to change that?

So we can discuss the issue now or we can discuss it we when we are both thrown into that very dark and cold river.

edited: Spelling. WAY Past my bedtime

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