As I was taking the bus home last night, it got hung up in West Hollywood, as No on 8 protesters filled the streets. People were shouting, honking, chanting and waving signs to protest inequality. I called a friend and disembarked at Fairfax to meet him -- and together we walked toward the melee and straight into the heart of the crowd in front of the Pacific Design Center. There were dogs and babies and all sorts of people, some singing, some yelling and some taking photos. We then followed the sea of people that filled both lanes of San Vicente all the way up to Sunset.
And as we strode down the strip, using our bodies to contribute to the larger disruptive mass, irritated drivers' gave us dirty looks and attempted to speed through holes in the crowd. Why can't these people see the bigger picture? This is bigger than your being delayed getting home. And it's bigger than your own interpretation of marriage. Just like those awful LA drivers, voters seem to be too caught up in preserving their own comforts to see how much they're endangering other people.
2 comments:
You can blame Bill Clinton and an overwhelming majority in congress for passing the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. This is what started it all. Google it.
The fundamentals as pasted from Wikipedia:
1. No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) need treat a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage, even if the relationship is considered a marriage in another state.
2. The Federal Government may not treat same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.
The point you raise about cars and comfort is exactly the problem. I love my car, love the seats, but yes, time spent in the car increases 1) your sense of entitlement and self-importance 2) your isolation from the issues at hand 3) your xenophobia and 4) ultimately your danger to yourself and others. Think about it, most Angelenos put themselves in a climate and information controlled bubble, you can now get a lot more done on the phone, or you take your mind out of your body, but let your body drive the car, blah blah blah, so when something interrupts your bubble path like say a pedestrian, a cyclist, a bus, or an equality rally, you're going to be pissed about it. We must all be literally and figuratively willing to step out of our bubbles for there to be equality on this issue. Or, we put a ballot measure together that changes the California Constitution, legalizing and recognizing marriage between two consenting adults. In the meantime blame Bill the Assface.
Hey A! It's good to hear you got to the protests. I was just looking at the photos on LAtimes.com and saw a bus in the protest and wondered if you were there.
Yirko's right about getting to the core of the problem. We need this to go all the way to Washington. The voters were closer this year in recognizing gay marriage then they were 4 or 8 or whatever years ago. We are getting closer to equality and it's important for people to get out of their bubbles on this one.
The past 8 years put people in a bad place. Now that President O is here we know that things can change. We've got to keep fighting and we can't just take a seat and let the next 4 years wash over us.
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