Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Today is November 5, 2008. A day I will never forget.

It's the day after America stood up and told the Religious Right where they could shove their agenda. (Mostly. All of the gay-marriage bans passed. We're still working on that.)

It's the day after America voted a bi-racial man as President of the United States of America. For the first time EVER, there will be a (half) BLACK man in the White House. I am so proud to have had a part at this moment in history. I'm amazed that it happened before my children could vote. Absolutely amazed.

Yesterday, America stood up and rejected hate. Yesterday, America stood up and rejected fear.

Do I think that Barack H. Obama, our president-elect, is the be-all, end-all, savior of the nation? Fuck NO! He's just a man. A politician at that. There will many of his "promises" that he does not keep. But he does know the Constitution, and he believes in the constitution.

He has charged us all in rebuilding our country. It is OUR responsibility to pick up that challenge, and hold him to OUR ideals. To hold him responsible for what he said he would do. And yes, our country DOES need to be rebuilt. Have you not been paying attention to what W has done to our nation? We are a laughing stock to the world. Our economy is in shreds. Our privacy has been stripped away from us.

But god-dammit, this is a start in taking back our country from the crazy nuts that are trying to impose their religious dogma on the rest of us. And they are, whether you believe that or not.

I grew up in a religion that wouldn't let me hold any office in the church. A religion that believed the only place a woman had was in submission to her husband. A religion where I had no voice. A religion that told me what to think, how to dress, who to talk to, who I could be friends with.

I walked away from that religion, and in doing so, lost my blood family. I walked away from every friend I'd ever had. Twenty-eight years of friendships and family, reduced to nothing.

So yeah, when religious people try pass laws based on their particular beliefs, I get really pissed. I've paid a very high price for my religious freedom, and I will let no one take that away from me.

This country was founded with freedom for religion, which includes ALL religions, not just the Christian faith, and the freedom FROM religion.

Keep YOUR religion at home, out of our public schools, and out of our government.


Just because you think the majority has the right to impose their beliefs on everyone else doesn't make it right. Sometimes we do whats right because it's the right thing to do, not because it's what everyone thinks should happen.

If we didn't, women still wouldn't have the right to vote, and blacks would still be slaves.

So all you Republicans who think that the world just ended and are wondering why, stand up and take your party back from the Religious extremists. Maybe then the rest of us won't mock you anymore.

People should not be afraid of their governments.
The governments should be afraid of their people.


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