Ms. Palin's unimpressive and, thankfully, unsuccessful maneuver to the highest position in the world has been foiled--by me, and you (and many, many other people who may be considered "unlike" me and you)--each of us used sound mind and judgment to conclude that Sarah Palin, John McCain, and hundreds of small-minded irrationalists and local politicians were unfit to represent us.
Well done to the majority of...us. We chose wisely.
And yet, on November 4th, a crushing blow was dealt. I won't speak for you, but I will say that it was the most unimpressed I have ever been with my country and its voters.
I'm a really good guy. I hold the door open for anyone within a dozen feet. (I love saying the word "dozen" because it makes me sound folksy.) I try to take care of all of my friends and family and I write thank-you letters because my mom wouldn't let me open Christmas presents without doing so. I mean, really, how do you write a thank-you letter for something you haven't opened? I still don't know... but I do know that gratitude, appreciation, respect--a regard for the presence and dignity of an offering--that's simply all that matters.
I'm gay. It took me a long time to say that out loud, and yet there are many for whom it has taken far longer, and even many more who will never say it out loud. I do not envy these people, though I have an unending amount of empathy for them. I understand why they are unable to live openly--and it makes me sick.
I have been in love twice in my life. The first time was when I was 18-years-old and met the most exceptional person I'll ever know. Together we battled the indelible idiocy of New England blue blood homophobia--the great irony being that no other socioeconomic group (save, perhaps, the Eton Alumnus Emeritus) has been filled with such blatant closeted fagotry, ever. We fell in love and guided each other to be better, more wholesome men. He taught me how to be gay.
And though that relationship didn't work out, I was well armed, thanks to him. And I was able to take my otherwise unseemingly gay persona and weld myself to the cause of every gay man, lesbian woman, and transsexual being. But it didn't end there. As a white Yale graduate from a rich, preppy town, I was able to, for the first time, recognize all of the hidden beings of irrelevance that, embarrassing to me now, were basically invisible. All of those people who seemed less-than--far too numerous to individually note here--exploded into focus.
It's so easy not to smell "foul odors" when you don't absolutely need to. We are capable of holding our collective breath to avoid imbibing that which we deem "unpleasant."
It is not our right to deem anything "unpleasant."
And that is what the majority of voters attempted to do by voting for Proposition 8--this absurd, archaic measure.
Shame on us all for letting it happen. I put myself right out in front because I was simply too lazy. I could have very easily spent every weekend and evening going to talk to African Americans who (some say) were, understandably or not, curious and apprehensive toward homosexuality.
Look, it's a strange concept. Shit, I'm still a little weirded out when I see two men kissing--especially when I'm one of the men.
It's different. We are all so fucking different. But, good god, isn't that the best part?
I'm really happy right now because I met a guy a couple weeks ago who has literally taken my breath away. I wasn't sure it would ever happen to me again, after having met the aforementioned exceptional gentleman of which I speak.
The day after the election, I was deputized by the State of California to be a temporary marriage official for my best childhood friend and his wife. On that day, November 6th, the representative from the State of California said "if you are here to officiate a same-sex marriage, I must ask you to leave."
You can imagine the paradox of being granted the power "vested in me" to legally marry by best friend--a man and his woman--but deemed singularly ill equipped to warrant that same title to myself.
Well, fuck. We all need to do everything in our power to right this embarrassing, revolting, ignorant, hateful proposition. And I am so confident that it will be righted.
I am not worried about me, or my potentially long lasting relationship.
But what of the many men and women who are in their 80's and hope to have their love realized in their lifetime? Some strange fucking "religious" person to going to deny them that? Is that really what the fuck is going on? If you do not get angry right now, shame on you. If you do not stop whatever it is you are doing to right this wrong, shame on you. If you sit by and expect the rest of us to fight this idiocy, then god help you and us. And for that matter, god help your "god"--and may he or she be a far more accepting god than the one you have chosen to lead us to "salvation."
Because guess what? Your god is unimpressive and weak.
Shame on you, Sarah Palin, for embodying everything that is wrong with everything.
Now that she is gone, it is up for each of us to clean up her soiled, filthy mess.
I really do appreciate you reading this and would be happy to respond to your comments, regardless of the content, at brismith@gmail.com.