An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey: McCain is holding our armed forces hostage to his homophobia

Thursday, December 09, 2010

McCain is holding our armed forces hostage to his homophobia

Frustrated by the DADT delay? Join me in taking the advice of my friend Rabbi Denise Eger:

So time is running out. The Senate is delaying the passage of the military authorization bill that contains the provision for repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. There are enough votes to repeal it. Including Republicans like Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts. But the Senate has really arcane rules that empower a single Senator to hold up vital legislation.

In our case of DADT it is Senator John McCain. Curmudgeonly McCain. Sore loser to President Obama and flip-flopper of giant proportions. Even his wife is for gay marriage. And took a NoH8 picture! Sen Susan Collins of Maine will vote for it but is being made the one to try and negotiate a deal on behalf of Republicans. Shame on you Susan. Do the right thing.

Sen. McCain take your homophobia back. Be the maverick that you claim you are not a Negative NayBob!. Lead don’t obfuscate. Sen. McCain has evidently has little else to hold on to but his homophobia. His position isn’t rational. Because he keeps trying to move the deadline, change the criteria needed for repeal.

McCain is holding our armed forces hostage to his homophobia.

Call. Call every day. Put his number on Redial. Call his Arizona offices (602) 952-2410 . Call his Washington Offices (202)224-2235. Pummel his phone lines. And those of the Republican Senatorial Leadership that are supporting this negativity tactic and running down the clock on this term.

I JUST CALLED McCAIN’S ARIZONA OFFICE AND USED MY “MILITARY MOM” CREDENTIALS TO SAY HIS BLOCKING THIS BILL IS A SHOCKING ABDICATION OF HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT ALL OUR MEN & WOMEN IN UNIFORM.

GO. DO LIKEWISE. NOW. PLEASE????

3 comments:

SCG said...: Too late to call as the vote to not even have a discussion has failed! What a disgrace.; 1:52 PM
Malcolm+ said...: There was a time when John McCain was a person of integrity.

That time has past.

He sold his soul to the fascists of the religious right in order to become the Republican nominee in 2008.; 7:39 PM
LGMarshall said...: Can we talk about President Obama's Homophobia..instead of McCain's?.

In addition to Homophobia, Obama has Leader-phobia...seems he desperately wants Bill Clinton to take the reins....

He even said..."Michelle has been waiting for me for 30 minutes...I gotta go! but, I'm leaving you in good hands..."; 8:36 PM

... where I try to be really clear about what I'm clear about. For example:

Religious persecution is when you're prevented from exercising your beliefs, not when you're prevented from IMPOSING your beliefs.

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Using "biblical standards" to condemn those who understand that sexual orientation is morally neutral makes as much sense as using "biblical standards" to condemn astronomers who understand that the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible may have said it but that doesn't always settle it.

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It's liberty and justice for all -- not some. It's respect the dignity of every human being -- not just straight ones. Got it? Great. Let's do it.

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In order to keep moving forward toward liberty and justice for all we can't just be right about what the 1st Amendment protects. We have to be smart about how we respond to those who skipped the 9th Commandment and think lying is a Traditional Family Value.

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Jesus said "Love your neighbor." Not "Love your neighbor unless your neighbor is gay."

Smart things other people have said you should know about

“Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly.” -- Ed Bacon

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's time for "tolerant" religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives." -- The Rt Rev Gene Robinson

"How can you initiate someone into the Body of Christ and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?" - The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these." — Siddhārtha Gautama

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." -- Ed Bacon

"The great Easter truth is not that we will be born again someday but that we are to be alive here and now by the power of the resurrection." -- Philips Brooks (paraphrase)

"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.” -- Walter Wink

“Patience, a quality of holiness may be sloth in the soul when associated with the lack of righteous indignation.” -- Abraham Heschel

"Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe!" -- Verna Dozier

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time as our constitution prohibits state religion, establishment of it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.” -- Ronald Reagan

Let's be clear. The fact that the State authorizes a marriage in no way compels any Church to perform or recognize it. Marriage equality merely guarantees equality under the law to all citizens; it does not compel churches to do anything.-- Katherine Ragsdale