One step forward?

While he wasn't my choice for President, I am proud of America for putting their racial prejudices aside and electing the first non-caucasian President. It shows that we as a country have moved past the blinders of the 60's and prior. If you look at the exit polls, the black vote didn't dramatically increase with this election, which means that Obama got a good majority of the white vote, which is fantastic. However, while the racial glass ceiling seems to have been shattered, the passing of Prop 8 in California, Prop 102 in Arizona, and the ban of Gay marriage in Florida just goes to show how much further our country has to go.

Part of the irony of the whole situation is that both California and Florida went for Obama in the electoral college. California was actually what pushed Obama over the required 270 electoral votes needed to win. So these two states were willing to put their racism aside but not their homophobia? How backwards is that?

Want more hypocrisy? Know who some of the largest proponents of the bans in California and Florida? The Mormon church. Wasn't Utah founded mainly by the Mormons so that they could practice their religon in peace, of which polygamy was a large part? Now these people who felt it necessary to put themselves in the Wild West in the middle of the 1800's so they could practice their own form of marriage are campaigning against others who want to marry?

Not only was the Mormon Church instrumental in financing the push to pass the bans, but many people voted against it due to their religous (mostly Christian) beliefs. Many churches preach against homosexuality citing a passage in Leviticus that states, "If a man lies with a male as he does a woman, both have committed an abomination." Somehow they forget the parts in the Bible that say, "Love thy neighbor as thyself" or "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" or many other passages that teach tolerance towards your fellow man.

Here's another thing that many people seem to forget. The United States was set up with the seperation of Church and State. While many only think this means that the governement will not interfere in Church doings, and vice versa, many forget that laws should not be enacted based upon religious beliefs. If you believe that gay marriage should not be allowed because it goes against your religious beliefs, then you shouldn't vote either for or against it. The government should not legislate morality, and as a democracy (at least on the state level) we are all part of the government, therefore we should not try and force our moral views on others.

Some arguments I have heard is that people are concerned about what the effects of gay marriage will have on their children. What happens if their kids see two men or two women walking down the street holding hands, or kissing, or whatever? What happens? The worst that happens is that they ask you questions about it. They are children, that is what they do. They ask questions on things they don't understand. It is our job as parents to answer their questions as best we can, and let them make their own decisions.

I have been involved in the theatre since I was 9 years old. Over the last 24 years I have met many gay people, but not once have any of them tried to "convert" me. Being exposed to them didn't make me gay either. Both of my kids have met gay men, and to them, they are our friends; not our "gay friends", just our friends. I wonder if those people that voted for the bans have taken the time to get to know a gay person.

We as a country did take one step forward on November 4th, 2008. However, we also took a step backward...

Shades of Purple

November 5th, 2008. Mark today down in your calendar. Grab copies of every newspaper you can find and save the front page. Today is a historical day in the history of our country. We elected the first non-caucasian President in our country's history. I hestitate to say first "African-American" or first "black" President because President-Elect Barack Obama is actually of multi-racial decent, being born to a white mother and black father. Of course the media plays it up as first "black" president, but then again the media usually slants things to whatever is the most sensational. Regardless of how you want to classify Obama, what occurred last night was historic.

In the interest of full-disclosure, I voted for John McCain last night. I was actually quite conflicted over who to vote for. I see myself as fiscally conservative, yet socially liberal. According to some, that makes me a "moderate" or "independant", but actually I think that makes me pretty American. I posed the question of why someone can't be both fiscally conservative and socially liberal on Facebook, and you would be amazed at the number of messages I received saying, "Me too!" or "That would be the perfect candidate." The problem with yesterday's election is that those of us in that camp didn't have the "Perfect candidate".

The two party system has become a detriment to this country. If you were to look at McCain and Obama 2 years ago, prior to the whole campaign bluster, they weren't that different. McCain was a left leaning Republican, and Obama was a right leaning Democrat. The campaigns forced both to move away from the center and to their respective "party lines." McCain isn't a blood red Republican, and Obama isn't a ocean blue Democrat. They, like many people in this country are more shades of purple.

My ultra right and ultra left friends have said, "You can't be in the middle! Then you don't stand for anything!" This couldn't be further from the truth, and that mentality is part of the problem. Why can't I be pro-choice, but anti-tax? Why can't I believe that the government shouldn't give entitlements, but also have no problem with gay marriage? Why can't I be Christian, but still accept other's religious beliefs? This is still America last I checked, and I shouldn't have to be labeled Conservative or Liberal, Republican or Democrat. It's time us moderates have a say, quit catering to one side or the other, and find out what is best for the country as a whole. No more Red states or Blue states, let's color the map Purple!