Yesterday, the California Supreme Court decided to uphold Proposition 8, which bans same sex marriage. However, they are allowing the existing marriages, estimated at around 18,000. While I am so happy for the couples that are already married, I share the grief many feel at the decision. A frequently heard remark is "liberty and justice for some." I think such a statement really hits the nail on the head. America is a land of opportunity, preferably if you are white, male, and at least middle class. Women are ok too, but you know, only if you marry men, give up your job in order to take care of your kids, give yourself freely sexually to your male counterparts but withstand the insults of being too sexual or not sexual enough. Oh, and people of color are ok too, as long as they "act white" and distance themselves from their "blackness" or "latinoness," nothing more than simply saying, "distance yourself from people and behaviors that are deemed not in line with the ruling class.
This is easily seen when politicians of color are seen blaming their brothers and sisters for their behaviors. They cite their own success and fortunes as proof that others can be just like them. But such success often comes at a price; fostering a sense of guilt and blameworthiness for being impoverished and abused by insitutions as a whole is just one of those sacrifices.
The battle for marriage equality, and civil rights!, is not over. This is a struggle that must be fought every day.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment