A Note to my Friends

[TheRuleofThree]

Hey guys,

The original message no longer applies because everyone here is broke anyway. Just read the thread.

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

i read your note, and agree with a lot of what you had said. however, i have issues supporting barack due to his past relations with the GLBTQI community. i do feel that barack has a strong chance to win the democratic nomination over my chosen candidate: kucinich. upon becoming the democratic candidate, i will probably vote for him--i dislike most of the republicans and third party candidates who are in the running.

[One Second Clubber]

Barack is such a front runner at this point in the game, that it's amazing...

There are absolutely NO Republicans standing out yet. Hillary was thought to be the front runner in all the years prior to this point and now she's in total shock and awe of the buzz that Barack has been able to create...

...the most amazing thing about this whole deal to me is the fact that Barack is generating more campaign funds then Hillary. I mean, she's a damn Clinton!!!

Barack is going to be REALLY tough to beat. Man that guy can speak...

[prophetstyle]

same. i'll probably be voting that way as well. though you did just remind me that this dumbass
<-----------

still hasn't registered to vote. can you say, "doh"?

[TheRuleofThree]

i read your note, and agree with a lot of what you had said. however, i have issues supporting barack due to his past relations with the GLBTQI community. i do feel that barack has a strong chance to win the democratic nomination over my chosen candidate: kucinich. upon becoming the democratic candidate, i will probably vote for him--i dislike most of the republicans and third party candidates who are in the running.

Please elaborate on this. Are you against the GLBTQI community or are you saying that he has mistreated them?

[And we'll just put a happy little bush over here.]

i read your note, and agree with a lot of what you had said. however, i have issues supporting barack due to his past relations with the GLBTQI community. i do feel that barack has a strong chance to win the democratic nomination over my chosen candidate: kucinich. upon becoming the democratic candidate, i will probably vote for him--i dislike most of the republicans and third party candidates who are in the running.

Please elaborate on this. Are you against the GLBTQI community or are you saying that he has mistreated them?

mistreated.

[Knifeboy]

There are absolutely NO Republicans standing out yet.

I keep hearing people rave about that guy Ron Paul

[One Second Clubber]

Yeah, the only reason why Ron Paul has made such a buzz is because he's been so strong against the Iraq war against most of the Republicans. He's been stirring up a lot commotion in the debates and raising eyebrows...

...as far as being a Republican front runner, not so sure about that...

[Knifeboy]

The people I know probably get a hardon because of Ron's strong liberterian views

[TheRuleofThree]

i read your note, and agree with a lot of what you had said. however, i have issues supporting barack due to his past relations with the GLBTQI community. i do feel that barack has a strong chance to win the democratic nomination over my chosen candidate: kucinich. upon becoming the democratic candidate, i will probably vote for him--i dislike most of the republicans and third party candidates who are in the running.

Please elaborate on this. Are you against the GLBTQI community or are you saying that he has mistreated them?

mistreated.

Could you explain this a little? To my knowledge Obama has always promoted equal rights for non-heterosexual couples and communities.

[BuddyGoodness]

what does the Q and I stand for in GLBTQI?

[IKnockStuffDown]

Gays, Lesbians, Bi-Sexuals, Transgendered, Questioning and Intersexed

[TheRuleofThree]

I've seen the Q designated as "Queer" in most of the theory that I've read.

[Trathena]

Could you explain this a little? To my knowledge Obama has always promoted equal rights for non-heterosexual couples and communities.

May I jump in?

Obama opposes gay marriage, and he opposes it because of his "Christian beliefs."  He says this issue should be "left up to the states," which is simply a cowardly bullshit way of saying he hopes it never happens.  He's for civil unions, which is at least better than most republicans, but these effectively keep gay couples imprisoned in the states in which they live.  And even if civil unions were allowed in all states, we can't be sure they'll benefit all couples equally to married couples.  Civil Unions are "separate-but-equal" policy.

It angers me when politicians can't separate their religious beliefs from governing.  And I can't--as a human being--vote for someone who thinks that some citizens are more equal than others.

[TheRuleofThree]

Could you explain this a little? To my knowledge Obama has always promoted equal rights for non-heterosexual couples and communities.

May I jump in?

Obama opposes gay marriage, and he opposes it because of his "Christian beliefs."  He says this issue should be "left up to the states," which is simply a cowardly bullshit way of saying he hopes it never happens.  He's for civil unions, which is at least better than most republicans, but these effectively keep gay couples imprisoned in the states in which they live.  And even if civil unions were allowed in all states, we can't be sure they'll benefit all couples equally to married couples.  Civil Unions are "separate-but-equal" policy.

It angers me when politicians can't separate their religious beliefs from governing.  And I can't--as a human being--vote for someone who thinks that some citizens are more equal than others.

But let's be honest about the reality of marriage - "marriage" is a religious practice.  "Gay Marriage" in name is actually a contradiction of terms, since marriage is commonly defined by the religion that supports it and thus is negated by a homosexual couple. However, the LEGAL aspect of a "marriage" is referred to in law as a "civil union," joining two normally independent citizens into a status whereby they can pursue certain benefits that fit their living situation.  The reality is this - the social practice of marriage cannot just be redefined by the federal branch, because "marriage" itself is accompanied by so many different standards depending on the religion in which it occurs.  Thus, the remaining option is to make the legal aspect of a civil union open to all couples and leave the remaining definitions to us.

When it comes to federal and state level law, I can understand that many people consider a politician's plea for "let the states choose" to be a cop out. The reality, however, is that every state has it's own economy, public services, taxes, etc.  By allowing the states to determine the application of the law, it prevents further issues in the long run. In the meantime, Obama has a very long - and very commendable - track record on GLBTQI issues, which can be seen here:

http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbianactivism/p/BarackObama.htm

The part you take issue with (this particular quote - "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman.") is something that I can completely understand, but I think it's important to note that we have to see the difference between marriage and civil union. The government does not marry people - the church does.

A large percentage - almost 40% actually - of my family is gay, so I care deeply about this issue. This was something that I was very concerned about when I was looking into candidates, and I can personally say that my family has come to support Obama after reading his record, his rhetoric, and after several family members met him (my aunt is an executive producer at CNN).  Obama's best characteristic is his ability to recognize both sides of an issue and find a compromise, and I personally feel that he's accomplished that with this issue.