As with many issues, all the viewpoints on President Obama's proclamation this week that he now supports legalizing gay marriage basically boil down to two sides. On one side, we have the people who are vehemently against gay marriage. They've found just one more reason to despise the Socialist Antichrist Muslim Kenyan.
On the other side, you have the folks who do support gay people's right to enjoy the same life experiences as any other human being. They're not exactly happy, either, though. They think Barry should've come out in support of gay marriage back in 2008 when he was asked the question point blank. They view Johnny-Come-Lately's pronouncement as thinly-veiled political theater.
Now, if you were to place me in one camp or the other, I'd have to fall into the latter. I'm a fan of personal liberty. You know, like Republicans say they are but aren't really. After all, it was Republicans in North Carolina who pushed through an amendment to their state's constitution to forever outlaw gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships of any kind (gay or straight) that started this whole brouhaha to begin with.
Indeed, when both stories broke the other day my immediate reaction was to escalate my disdain for both social conservatives for their blatant hypocrisy, and our president for his obvious political gimmick. And then everyone started talking. And they're still talking. And amidst all this talking I learned a factoid that instantly caused my opinion of this whole matter to become...let's say more nuanced.
Here's the fact: The country is basically split right down the middle on this issue, 50/50.
Why did this information cause me to alter my view of the whole affair? Let me ask you something...Given the current situation on this planet, what should the real hot button political issues be? We've got a banking system that is directly responsible for an ongoing financial crisis that's decimated the lives of millions across the globe, yet no one has gone to jail. We've got energy companies that are actively destroying the ecosystem of the planet while raking in millions of dollars in profit on the hour every hour that are receiving billions in government subsidies while alternative energy companies can't make ends meet. Consumers are paying out the ass for fossil fuels of every kind while the government has suppressed thousands of patents - the product of good ol' American innovation - that would eliminate everyone's need for fuel of any kind, not to mention the need to pay a utility bill ever again. We've got the largest income disparity in history. We've got carte blanche support for a Nazi-like regime in Israel who have turned the Gaza strip into a concentration camp for years on end. Likewise, our own country is guilty of killing countless innocent civilians - including children - through errant drone strikes as part of a global war on terror that isn't making anyone safer while it lines the pockets of "defense" corporations.
I could go on for pages with a list of real issues that really affect real people much more directly than gay marriage. You know, environmental destruction, corporate malfeasance, shocking inequality, subjugation and poverty. So why is this the issue everyone is talking about? Well, because it's what the media is talking about.
Imagine you were at the top of this pyramidal ponzi scheme called Planet Earth. Imagine you needed to distract the population from looking too closely at how things really work here. How would you do it? Well, one of the best tried and true ways is to manufacture and issue. History has taught you that social issues make for excellent distraction during times when people are really hurting or dying. Just prod the old value voters with an edict to the media you control, and viola - problem solved.
And what sort of manufactured issue would get the greatest number of people talking and keep them bickering with each other as long as possible? One where each "side" had virtually the same number of people.
As soon as I heard that the latest research poll showed America was split right down the middle on this, I knew why it had become the topic du jour. It's a nationwide tug of war over something that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things! No one will live or die whether gay marriage is outlawed or legalized. And best of all, while the entire country is coerced into focusing on this relatively unimportant manufactured issue, the robber barons continue their dirty work to fleece the planet while simultaneously destroying it.
You're all being led around by the ear. And you're letting them do it. They're playing you like a kazoo; the easiest instrument in the world.
Stop it. Seriously, stop it. C'mon, you know you've already said everything you need to say about this. It doesn't need to be rehashed or broken down any more than it already has.
Instead, next time someone brings it up, change the subject. Explain that you think there are things that are more important, then give one example. Then, talk about that instead. For the love of God, stop being so easily manipulated and distracted!
Please?
