Ahh, protesting in the streets. The Raw Intelligence did it once. We marched down the streets of San Francisco a few weeks before George Dubya shocked and awed Iraq, asking him to please not do that. There we were, the editorial board, the Editor and Publisher’s mom and grandma, and some stinky girl with a sign that said, “Drop Acid – Not Bobms.” Yeah, spelled like that. Amazingly, the President did not take that advice.
The funny thing is, had President Bush asked for the people’s advice at that time and put it to a popular vote, it probably would have turned out pretty similar to how Prop 8 turned out: About 52% would have voted “Yes, nuke those towelheads,” with about 48% voting “No, wait, what? Bomb Iraq? Why?”
But anyway, on Prop 8, the people actually did speak. True, they spoke after being subjected to tens of millions of dollars worth of televised lies funded by a church whose definition of a “traditional wedding” includes a row of seats set aside for the groom’s other wives, but they spoke nonetheless.
And protesting in the streets isn’t going to change that. The lawsuit backed by LA City, LA County and SF and Santa Clara counties maaaaaybe can change that.
The good news is, something will change it, and here’s why: Prop 8 was Wrong. So many propositions are matters of priorities, or wording, or the hidden details. Rare is the vote when one side is Right and one side is Wrong. But that’s what we had here. Denying anyone the right to marry is wrong, just like it was wrong when people of different races couldn’t marry, just like it was wrong when people of different social classes couldn’t marry, just like it was wrong when the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals.
And the Right side will win on this eventually, and all the people who voted Yes on 8, if they are not dead when it happens (and a LOT of Yes on 8ers will be within the next few years), are going to feel fucking stupid.
But anyway, protesters, quit acting the fool and get out of the damn street.
“Make Acid – Not Signs.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I will be protesting tomorrow, but will be sure to stay on the sidewalk!
If a protest can open the eyes of even a single person, I consider it well worth the effort.
I will not interrupt the flow of traffic. Unless, of course, I accidentally have to stop and tie my shoe and just so happen to make a Yes on 8 believer late for church.
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
Elie Wiesel
Post a Comment