Bittersweet

I'm having a hard time expressing in words how I feel right now. On the one hand, the election of Barack Obama is one of the great moments in our nation's history. As my mother said last night "Save your papers tomorrow morning to pass on to your children and grandchildren." Obama's landslide victory serves as a mirror-image and bookend of sorts to the last American experience that was this universal and emotionally-resonant, 9/11. The dreadful shadow of fear, confusion, and anger that has defined the last seven years has given way to a new sense of unity, optimism, and patriotism. It's been a privilege to be a part of this moment.

With so many great things to say about this election, I can't help but dwell on the fact that Prop. 8 has passed. The fact that this failure was in "liberal" California was a crushing blow. Through shameful propaganda and the inadvertent assistance of the mushy-mouthed Democrats who tried to straddle both sides of this issue (I'm looking at you, Barack), bigotry has been enshrined into our state constitution. Thousands of marriages are going to be nullified because a slim majority of insecure strangers want their discomfort about homosexuality to be codified into law.

It's hard to celebrate an Obama victory with this stunning reminder that Americans can still be small and bitter and hateful and cruel.

Comments

[NationalTreasure]

it is open bigotry and unwarranted and must not prevail in the courts

[jeanrenoir]

Thank God Obama was so successful in straddling this issue. It's a hell of a lot more important for this country for Obama to be elected than for him to pass some litmus test with a small segment of the liberal population. Obama's victory hugely advances the cause of tolerance in this country. Young people are overwhelmingly liberal and tolerant. All groups can look forward to greater and greater tolerance in the decades ahead, as the older, more conservative voters of America simply die out. One of the great things about Obama is his shrewdness, not a Clinton triangulating weasel quality but rather a sober realism about the art of the possible in America in 2008. All liberals should be very thankful for this. If Obama had not been such a shrewd and canny candidate, McCain would have won this election, which would have TRULY set back the cause of toleration by a decade. So don't be "bittersweet." Be realistic and hopeful because of Obama's victory, just as Obama is.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

Jeanrenoir's response is the Uber Truth. Gay marriage militants must realize that had Obama supported same-sex marriage and campaigned against Proposition 8, John McCain would have won the Presidency.

[SeparateButUnequalinCA]

JeanRenoir and JohnBryansFontaine, what makes you think we don't already know this? Don't you think we understand all too well that Obama's historic victory was predicated, at least in part, on the continued oppression of gay people? What makes you think we don't understand that our efforts to elect Obama very well brought many Yes on 8 voters to the polls? That the very same people who voted to move us one step forward as a country by electing our first African-American president often voted to move us one step back by supporting this initiative to eliminate rights of gay people?

It is a bittersweet day, indeed, and you have no place to tell us to feel otherwise, to demand that we be "realistic" and "hopeful" when we have just been dealt such a cruel hand.

[RobHughey]

Gay marriage militants?!?

That's a horrible thing to say. We're not "militant" if we're fighting for our own recognition and lives. Can you imagine going to bed one day beside your spouse and waking up the next morning beside your now also-single cohabitant? Thousands of Californians had that experience this morning.

Personally: I'll be okay if the Federal Government allows for civil unions for all Americans - as long as it has all the rights that Straight Marriage has. I want the rights - you can keep the word.