Subscribe to Breaking NewsLowenstein: Our leaders are evolving, and we should welcome the change
We’re continuing our new Friday tradition of debating a timely issue to see where all our bloggers stand. Today James is arguing that actions speak louder than words, and in the case of recent political figures coming out for marriage equality, their actions haven’t shown that they support our community.
I agree that it’s important not to let our leaders get away with vague platitudes and political pandering, but I have a very different opinion on this subject.
These leaders who’ve come out and announced their support for gay marriage—Senator Chuck Schumer, Mayor Bloomberg, even former McCain adviser Steve Schmidt—are doing more than saying words we want to hear.
They are also admitting that they’ve changed their position on gay marriage, and come to see it as an issue of equality.
Isn’t changing minds the at root of what we’re fighting for?
Anyone who is willing to stand up and say that he has seen the error of his past positions, and now supports equality represents progress, plain and simple.
Of course we want to see actions that support these words—of course we must hold them accountable until we do see those actions—but the first step needs to be winning them over to our side. And in these cases, we’ve won that first step.
Back in January, Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights hero who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and led the freedom rides through the segregated south, was faced with a very interesting situation when one of the men who had attacked him during those rides wanted to make a public apology.
The attacker, Elwin Wilson, was moved by the election of Barack Obama to see the horrors that he had committed in his past for what they were, and he wanted to make amends.
I’m not sure what I would have done, had I been in Congressman Lewis’ place, but he had the foresight to see the moment for what it was—progress.
So when Elwin Wilson admitted to and apologized for his history of racism and hate motivated violence toward Lewis and his friends, the Congressman simply accepted the apology and offered his forgiveness.
“This apology,” Congressman Lewis said at the time, “is the essence of what our movement was all about—the ability of people to change and grow.”
We know that we can’t draw direct comparisons between the civil rights movement and our current movement for equality, but I hope that we can learn from their gracious leaders how to react when we win over one person’s heart and mind.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/30/cuba-launches-anti-homoph_n_180833.html
Communist Cuba with it’s Catholic domination in the country is taking huge strides in diversity awareness AND it’s all being led by a Castro…the President’s daughter!! If they can do that there, we can do anything here!
“We know that we can’t draw direct comparisons between the civil rights movement and our current movement for equality,…”
That’s funny. Coretta Scott King and Julian Bond did exactly that. But what do they know? They were/are only black civil rights leaders and outspoken advocates for ALL human rights, including gays. If they can see the similarities, why is it so difficult for others to do so? Perhaps their grasp of the concept of civil rights is lacking.
Sarrellec Said: “There are two functions necessary for change. The radicals AND the negotiators.”
Excellent post and I couldn’t agree more.
Well, you see, negros have this fantasy that they were the only group of people ever put into slavery, so, therefore, absolutely no one else can ever know the pain of that.
Except, slavery is removed from them by about, what is it, four generations now? Five?
Homosexuals are still being legally murdered in a lot of countries in the world…those same countries, by the way, who seem to sport a LOT of dark skin.
How many weeks ago was it a guy got 5 years for murdering a gay man?
How many more weeks will it be before somebody else gets a slap on the wrist for outright murder of a gay person?
HELLO! Black President of the United States!
it’s about time to stop beating the “but, we is all so put upon by whitey” drum and start taking responsibility for the ACTIONS which put off realtors, employers and little old ladies that cross the street when they see you coming.
I like what one poster wrote: We don’t kill each other. We rebuild houses.
Maybe THAT is why there can be no comparison?
Gay men are treated as second class citizens WITHOUT a history of violent anti-social behavior?
Yeah…maybe that’s it.
I agree with the guy that there’s no correlation. Gays don’t murder each other at rates as high as African-Americans do. And we restore houses.
“We know that we can’t draw direct comparisons between the civil rights movement and our current movement for equality.” Um… please speak for yourself, because OTHERS like ME see a DIRECT link between the civil rights movement and our current struggle for equal rights thankyou very much!
This IS about civil rights, still, and it’s been going since forever. Talk is still cheap, and we welcome the change but are still angry at damage done to kids and families of gay people, let alone gay people themselves.
“…we can’t draw direct comparisons between the civil rights movement and our current movement for equality,…”
1. African-Americans were forbidden by law from marrying individuals of other races; LGBT individuals are forbidden by law from marrying each other.
2. African-Americans suffered discrimination in jobs and housing; LGBT people suffur discrimination in jobs and housing.
3. African-Americans are judged by the colour of their skin and cultural identifying mannerisms; LGBT individuals are judged by their sexuality and cultural identifying mannerisms
4. African-Americans were historically portrayed inaccurately and disrespectfully in the media; LGBT characters appeared on ‘Will and Grace’ enough said
5. African-Americans were written into law as inferior persons, including the shameful 3/5 of a human legal decision; LGBT people are written into law as inferior persons incapable of performing a universal legal contract, i.e. marriage.
Guess what? I just did compare the two — how about that?
I didn’t choose my DNA, which by default means I didn’t choose my race, sex, or orientation.
Civil Rights issues isn’t complicated, anything less than “all men are created equal” is discrimination.
The writer obviously overlooks the direct comparison of DISCRIMINATION. The writer also overlooks the direct comparisons of INDIVIDUAL INJUSTICE- i.e. the arbitrary nature of denying persons valuable life-opportunities, i.e. employment, housing, benefits and marriage.
SYSTEMATIC INJUSTICE from the repeated and widespread acts of individual injustice.
We know that we can’t draw direct comparisons between the civil rights movement and our current movement for equality, Why the *** not??? Of course it is the same!! How dare you.
Forgive me…I meant to say the gentleWOman who wrote this article.
There are two functions necessary for change.
The radicals AND the negotiators.
Without the actions of the radicals, there is no reason to listen to the negotiators.
Without the negotiators, there is no point to the actions of the radicals.
We must appreciate the separate and necessary functions of each of these fomenters of change.
We must realize that a radical CAN NOT become a negotiator, or he/she loses their impact as an unreasonable and implacable force of demand.
We must also realize that a negotiator MUST be perceived to be open to conversation and approachable in compromise to achieve the final goal.
I am a radical.
I will accept nothing except complete and utter surrender of my opposition.
That’s what I’m supposed to do.
I make them listen.
This gentleman who wrote this article and the gentleman of whom he wrote fulfilled their purpose as negotiators today and did it wonderously.
They make the final difference.
Blessed be to them.
Without forgiveness there can be no healing. Thank you for writing this today.