A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Via Viktor Egelund / Facebook:
Via Re-Elect President Obama:
"Obama’s
thoughtful statement sends a different message. It says that values
like introspection, compassion, and justice support, rather than oppose,
equality for LGBT people. We can interpret Leviticus, Romans, and
Corinthians ten ways from Sunday. But what we can’t ignore are the calls
to justice and compassion.
"What, according to the statement, led Obama to this position? The right kind of thinking.
Over time, he said, he has come to understand the truth of same-sex
couples: that they are as capable of commitment, love, and sanctity as
opposite-sex ones; and that it is an injustice to deny the benefits of
marriage to gay people. Those are religious values, expressed in a
personal way. It demonstrates the growth of individual conscience: the
president used to feel one way, but over time, in a careful and long
process of discernment, he has now come to feel a different way. People
on his staff, friends and family—these, not abstract principles, are
what shifted his heart and mind. Thinking of his personal responsibility
for the lives of soldiers serving our country—this, not some policy
point, is the data that weighs into calculations of right and wrong."
— Jay Michaelson
"What, according to the statement, led Obama to this position? The right kind of thinking. Over time, he said, he has come to understand the truth of same-sex couples: that they are as capable of commitment, love, and sanctity as opposite-sex ones; and that it is an injustice to deny the benefits of marriage to gay people. Those are religious values, expressed in a personal way. It demonstrates the growth of individual conscience: the president used to feel one way, but over time, in a careful and long process of discernment, he has now come to feel a different way. People on his staff, friends and family—these, not abstract principles, are what shifted his heart and mind. Thinking of his personal responsibility for the lives of soldiers serving our country—this, not some policy point, is the data that weighs into calculations of right and wrong."
— Jay Michaelson
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma May 13, 2012
The Safety of our Buddhanature
Love
and compassion make us feel safe because they express the safety of
their source—the deep buddhanature within us, the unchanging inner space
of primal awareness that cannot be harmed.
|
- John Makransky, "Aren't We Right to Be Angry?"
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Via JMG: LEAKED GOP MEMO: It's Time To Let Go Of Fighting Against Same-Sex Marriage
Politico has published a just-leaked memo from an insider on Dubya's 2004 reelection team. In the light of Obama's "evolution," this guy now says that GOP strategists should abandon the losing battle against same-sex marriage.
Background: in view of this week’s news on the same sex marriage issue, here is a summary of recent survey findings on same sex marriage:Read the full memo.
Recommendation: A statement reflecting recent developments on this issue along the following lines:
- Support for same sex marriage has been growing and in the last few years support has grown at an accelerated rate with no sign of slowing down. A review of public polling shows that up to 2009 support for gay marriage increased at a rate of 1% a year. Starting in 2010 the change in the level of support accelerated to 5% a year. The most recent public polling shows supporters of gay marriage outnumber opponents by a margin of roughly 10% (for instance: NBC / WSJ poll in February / March: support 49%, oppose 40%).
- The increase in support is taking place among all partisan groups. While more Democrats support gay marriage than Republicans, support levels among Republicans are increasing over time. The same is true of age: younger people support same sex marriage more often than older people, but the trends show that all age groups are rethinking their position.
- Polling conducted among Republicans show that majorities of Republicans and Republican leaning voters support extending basic legal protections to gays and lesbians. These include majority Republican support for:
- Protecting gays and lesbians against being fired for reasons of sexual orientation
- Protections against bullying and harassment
- Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
- Right to visit partners in hospitals
- Protecting partners against loss of home in case of severe medical emergencies or death
- Legal protection in some form for gay couples whether it be same sex marriage or domestic partnership (only 29% of Republicans oppose legal recognition in any form).
“People who believe in equality under the law as a fundamental principle, as I do, will agree that this principle extends to gay and lesbian couples; gay and lesbian couples should not face discrimination and their relationship should be protected under the law. People who disagree on the fundamental nature of marriage can agree, at the same time, that gays and lesbians should receive essential rights and protections such as hospital visitation, adoption rights, and health and death benefits.
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma
Tricycle Daily Dharma May 12, 2012
Revolutionary Practice
True
dharma practice is a revolutionary activity, and you can't do it in a
comfortable way. You really have to challenge the whole identity of your
life.
|
- Jack Kornfield, "The Sure Heart's Release"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection
Via AmericaBlogGay:
The story of Obama's evolution, starting with a blogger named Joe
I have to give Peter Wallsten and Scott Wilson credit at the Washington Post for crediting our own Joe Sudbay with being the person who got President Obama to say he's evolving on gay marriage. A lot of reporters fail to mention who hit was who got the ball rolling on this issue.
Via AmericaBlogGay: More Romney Bullying
Top Romney aide gleefully outed transgender woman, ending her political career
Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom Eric Fehrnstrom is called Mitt Romney's "most trusted" adviser. Well it seems that Mr. Romney's most trusted adviser is alleged to have "glee"-fully outed a transgender women, ending her career in politics. This from GQ: Fehrnstrom saved his cheap shots for smaller-time Massachusetts pols.
Via AmericaBlogGay:
Romney defends traditional marriage, which in his family's case means polygamy
The Daily Dish has a video of Mitt Romney talking about defending the traditional definition of marriage that's existed for 3,000 years. In the case of Romney's family, that traditional definition involved polygamy. As the Daily Dish notes, Romney's family even abandoned the United States for Mexico, after the US government clamped down on polygamists over a century ago.Romney says that...
Via AmericaBlog Gay:
Romney flip-flops today on gay adoption, now against
Romney seems to have decided that the only way can win the general election against President Obama is to swing even further to the far-right than he did during the primaries (I know the primaries aren't over, but they really are). This is actually quite surprising. He's going to turn off independents if he keeps pandering to the far right. From CBS News: Republican presidential...
Friday, May 11, 2012
Via Freedom to Marry / Facebook
Beautiful: The New Yorker Magazine cover celebrating President Obama's support for the freedom to marry.
— with T Neverdinner Jacket.
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