Hope Votes

[crysthewolf]

I remember when I discovered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I always thought that racism was stupid - the bane of the ignorant -  but, to be honest, that wasn't why I liked him.  King was definitely the champion of the Civil Rights Movement, but to me, Civil Rights doesn't just mean equal rights for African Americans.  Civil Rights, to me, has always meant equal rights for everyone.  I'm a woman, I'm Pagan, and I'm bisexual, and those things sometimes lend to me not being regarded as "equal".  But I'm not just concerned with myself.  I do, for whatever reason, care about my fellowman.  I cared about my fellowman before I knew what it meant to be a woman in society.  I cared about my fellowman before I was Pagan, and before I was honest with myself about the fact that while I'm attracted to men, I'm also equally attracted to women (sometimes moreso.  What can I say?  Girls are pretty and they smell good. ;) )  And so I wish for freedom for my fellowman, no matter how different he may be from me.  I want people to see the beauty of culture and not think of it as "lesser" because it's not like theirs.  I want the world to be a place where all people are free to be themselves and have the same rights.

And for all these things, I always loved Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  But I also loved him for something that always was, to me, much larger than that.

Dr. King taught me to hope.

You hear it in his speaches.  I love to listen to his speaches, because his whole demeanor says "I hope".  "I believe".  "I can".  Those things, in the darkness of my world and the depression of my past, are the things that helped me to survive.  Those words saved my life on any number of occasions.  "I hope."

And I have to admit that while there are things I don't understand about politics (granted, there are a lot more that I DO), and I can't accuse myself of knowing absolutely everything about every candidate that ran in this election... I heard those words, and that sound - the sound of hope - when I listened to Barack Obama speak for the first time.

I listened to what he said.  I listened to his ideas, his plans, and his hopes.  I listened to the voting records and I listened to the detractors.  I listened to the arguments and I thought.  I didn't want to vote by my emotions,  but all of those things fell into line behind that big thing that swept me off of my feet from that first speach.    I hoped.

A lot of bad things happened last night.  Rights were taken away from gays in Arizona, Florida, and California.  That makes me sad, because I cannot understand why people would want to take rights away from other people just because they're religious views are different, and to me it seems like that's all it really boils down to.  There are people who think it's "wrong" to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered.  That's fine, that's their perogative, but to take away other people's rights as Americans because of that?  That makes me sad.  If you think that it's wrong to marry someone of the same sex, don't marry someone of the same sex.  If you think that people of the same sex being allowed to marry will mean that someone will tell you that you have to tell your kids that being gay is okay, then fight THAT battle.  I don't want to take away your rights as parents.  I don't want you to have to tell your kids it's okay to be gay.  I want you to tell your kids that it's not okay to be unkind and mean, and that it's not okay to take away other people's rights.  You didn't teach them that last night. 

And yet, there was hope.  There was hope in a man who says "we hope" and "we believe" and "we can".  I don't know about the rest of the country, but I needed that.  And I'm holding onto that hope, "...that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) are created equal.'"  I'm holding onto the hope that one day Christian pastors and their wives will one day sit down with long-time-legally-married gay couples at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood.  I hold out hope that one day the daughters of Barack Obama will be judged not by what is or is not between their legs, not by what religion they participate in or what god or goddess they bow down to (or whether they bow down to anyone at all), but by the content of their character.

"With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."

And I hold out hope that the country that elected Barack Obama last night will one day be a truly free country, for everyone.

And I will listen to that hope for, at the very least, the next four years.

Love,

Crystal


This entry submitted for LJ Idol Week 7, "Hope".  Don't forget to vote! Again!
 

Comments

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

I couldn't have said this better! Wonderful entry!

Sweet

[paulwhit.livejournal.com]

Nicely put.

Re: Sweet

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

Thanks! =)

[caersidi.livejournal.com]

Really well put.

I supported Dr. King and the civil rights movement and always considered he was speaking about civil rights for all but the focus at that time was the situation that faced African Americans.

I don't get why people are so freaked by gay marriage. Does this mean that civil partnerships are outlawed or just religious legal marriages?

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

That I'm not really sure about. As far as I know it is all of the marriages that were legalized by the supreme court decision that are now illegalized. I don't know how the states in question do civil partnerships.

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

And yeah, as I understand Dr. King's message he was speaking about civil rights for all. There are a lot of people who disagree with me on that, but that's how I read it. Unfortunately Dr. King died before I was born so I can't really know for absolutely certain.

[earthgrl310.livejournal.com]

It's just marriage. They get all the same rights as married couples, it just can't be considered marriage.

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

OMG, you are so crazy. America is one nation under GOD and there is only one GOD and he HATES people who aren't straight and into worshiping him and male! DUH.



But really...I thought 4 years ago that laws against gay marriage would be struck down within a decade...now I'm not so sure...but you never know, if someone were to take it to the Supreme Court...or if the new congress were to define marriage federally...that's one of those laws that, once made, will never be struck down...it would be like going back to "separate but equal."

[crysthewolf.livejournal.com]

LOL!!

Well here's hopin' for... something. :)

[shadowwolf13]

*applauds*

[brightflashes.livejournal.com]

: ) So well put. Thanks for your entry.

[lilmissmagic71.livejournal.com]

*nodnod* Nicely done.

[solstice-singer.livejournal.com]

The whole gay marriage ban really bothered me. I don't know why people want to take away others' rights. I, as a lesbian, don't want to take away theirs, so why do they want to mess with mine?

I agree with you that, with Obama's election, our country is once again a hopeful place.

Very nicely written!

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

well said!

[ahavah-ehyeh.livejournal.com]

This is excellent.