On Wednesday President Obama remarked that he supports allowing same-sex couples to marry. That’s great, but it is just words. What’s more, the president doesn’t really have much to say on the issue anyway, since (a) marriage is a state-by-state thing, (b) in state votes, same-sex marriage keeps losing, (c) Obama isn’t a Supreme Court justice, nor does he even enjoy a working majority among them.
Words are fine, and can both inform us and lift us up, but they aren’t reliable. I find I learn a lot less from what people say than from what they do. Everyone wants to be the hero of their own story and so words are generally self-serving. There’s nothing unusual about that. That’s why I enjoy reading budgets more than I like going to press conferences. You learn more, and what you learn is more reliable.
This is never so true as when you’re learning something pleasant. The temptation is never to probe, but just to accept, good news. And of course this is exactly when it’s the most important to do exactly that. Self-deception is the most effective kind of deception, isn’t it?
That’s why it was a pleasure to stumble across a list like this, via Balloon Juice, that provides a list of the things that are within the President’s control on sexuality civil rights and that Obama has already acted on. It’s a fairly long list of hate crime legislation passed, military policies repealed, anti-discrimination clauses adopted, spousal benefits provided, visitation rights granted, family and medical leave act provisions extended, openly gay appointees named, and anti-DOMA arguments made. The content varies, but many represent actual achievements. Several of those undo damage done by previous Presidents who vocally supported equal rights, but gave us some pretty damaging policies anyway.
The conflict between those who want the prize now and those who are content to be on the right path will always be with us. Important changes take work, work takes time, and in the long run we’re all dead. These are the realities of political change. There is little reason not to harass those in office about important policies. The office holders who disagree with you need to hear that there are dissenters, and those who agree need your support, and often, a push. But on the issue of civil rights, I believe it’s important to see Obama’s statement about marriage equality not as a beginning, nor even as a bone tossed to an important constituency, but as item number 41 on the third list down. Call it putting your mouth where your money is.
This post is very misleading and borderline deceptive. President Obama didn’t endorse equality, and he doesn’t believe nor does he support the idea that gays and lesbians should have the same rights as heterosexuals. I think you got fooled by the Balloon Juice post Tom. The Obama administration didn’t initiate and in many cases outright opposed the “accomplishments” you give them credit for.
Take it up with these guys: http://www.equalitygiving.org/ , the actual source of the list. Balloon Juice only found it for me. And who are you quoting there?
You’re misinterpreting this list. Most of these are Congressional actions, not Obama’s. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what your same source says:
“Starting September 20, 2011 lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, and gays can serve openly in the military, but still they are not treated equally.”
www.equalitygiving.org/Dont-Ask-Dont-Tell
President Obama is the Commander in Chief and if he wants to treat his Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines (or federal employees) equally, he has that inherent authority.
He won’t.
It’s practically an insult for him to come out on this issue the day after NC’s defeat, and then stop short of actually doing something. Even worse, we now have to keep having this same discussion in 50 state legislatures, instead of fixing the economy.
Sadly, Obama’s most recent failure is another in a long list of civil rights failures, deeper and longer than George Bush’s:
www.salon.com/2012/04/20/obamas_dismal_civil_liberties_record/
I think most of your comment is addressed adequately by my original post, but I just went and counted, and of 76 entries on those three lists, I only count a handful that had anything to do with Congress at all. Feel free to harbor your opinions and if I can’t persuade you then I can’t persuade you, but you are not free to have your own facts.