Don’t petition the White House, Use Change.org

Nov 18, 2012 Aaron Krager No Comments

Secessionists. I first want to say thank you for finally learning something from history. The last time so many desired to rid themselves of a tyrannical president they declared war on the Union. Thus, your use of a peaceful means through petitions on the White House’s site is commendable. Furthermore, each state now finds themselves represented by a petition and signatures from people possibly wanting to secede from the United States. Texas leads the way with more than 100,000 people asking the White House to address the issue. This is the same state governed by Rick Perry who drummed up his base of supporters with calls for seceding prior to his Republican bid for President. The irony seemed lost on him. Governor Perry is obviously not a viable option to lead the cause. He hardly put up a fight against a weak group seeking his party’s nomination. I also question...

The Country Moved to the Left Last Night

Nov 7, 2012 Aaron Krager No Comments

The whole campaign season did not just depend upon the presidential race that finally came to an end last night. Yes, the country voted clearly to give Barack Obama another four years in the White House. He received more than 50 percent of the vote and won handily in the electoral college. Yet, it is what happened down the ballot that shows the nation’s move toward progressive values. It appears that Democrats will pick up a couple seats in the lower chamber but the real change happened on the senatorial level. Voters said no way to Republicans Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock after they attempted to scapegoat women and downplay the trauma of rape and sexual abuse. Furthermore, women won in Massachusetts, North Dakota, Hawaii, and Wisconsin for their first terms. All four of them will be more progressive legislators than their predecessors. In Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin will be the...

Republicans, Rape, Life, and Control of Women

Oct 24, 2012 Aaron Krager No Comments

During last night’s Indiana Senate debate the Republican candidate, Richard Mourdock, did more than stick his foot in his mouth. I believe life begins at conception. The only exception I have for to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother. I struggled with myself for a long time but I came to realize life is that gift from God, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape. It is something that God intended to happen. Mourdock joined a club made exclusively of Republicans but a club that seems to be growing as the November election nears. Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh made a reprehensible comment about exceptions for the life of the mother following his debate. “There is no such exception. With modern technology and science, you can’t find one instance.” Complete crap as this woman explains. Of course who can forget Missouri...

Why I won’t applaud the President on Marriage Equality

May 9, 2012 Aaron Krager 3 Comments

By now you have heard that President Barack Obama position on marriage equality finally evolved into support. All of this happens the day after North Carolina residents overwhelmingly backed an amendment to their state constitution banning it (and a host of other domestic partnership rights). The state that Obama carried in 2008 joined the rest of the former confederate states in once again saying one class of citizens is inferior to the majority of the voting bloc.

Having a person in the powerful position such as the Presidency of the United States carries, well in Vice President Joe Biden’s words, a big stick. Sadly, the movement for marriage equality will not see the most powerful person use that stick and fight for them. Obama’s announcement makes it clear that he will continue to leave it up to individual states. A place where marriage equality has lost each and every time it has been on the ballot. This is despite a majority of Americans now in support of marriage equality.

The basic rights of people cannot be left up to the states. We cannot live in the United States while individual states divide against each other in battle to legally recognize the love of two people regardless of their sexual orientation.

Obama cloaked his struggle with marriage equality in his Christian faith. Others hide behind the same faith to discriminate against their neighbor, coworker, or even a close family member. You may have heard someone say that marriage is an sacred agreement with God. My faith tells me a loving relationship cannot be denied and should be more fully nourished. But that is not the argument. The fight exists within the eyes of the law, not in the eyes of God. We cannot begin to see the same as God but we can try to see the foundation of our nation’s laws – the Constitution.

Preventing two men or two women from obtaining a legal document that recognizes their relationship in the same manner as mine is a violation of the Constitution. I will not stand for it and neither should the President. The people elected him to head the executive branch of our country to uphold the Constitution. He took an oath to do so despite Chief Justice John Roberts fumbling of it during the inauguration.

So I will not cheer or applaud the President on something that he should have already done. We can only ask how much longer for justice and equality. We can only look on in disbelief and wonder what more can we do.

The fight moves onto Washington and Minnesota where voters will say yes or no to equality for gay and lesbian couples. If President Obama wants to leave it up to the states but personally support it then he damn well better campaign for it in those states.

I realize progress comes slowly. Powerful tells us to wait. This cannot wait. We are not the land of liberty while our country denies fellow citizens rights that others enjoy. So President Obama, welcome aboard the band wagon. Now will you lead aggressively or merely stand back and watch?

Reed

Maaaannnn. There’s nothing Obama could have done to change the North Carolina travesty this week. He’s already accomplished more for LGBT citizens than any president in history, and by a wide margin. (Bush exploited them, Clinton placated them and sold them out, Reagan and everyone before him couldn’t have given less of a fuck.) “Coming out” as he did today (because lets face it, his lack of support was always founded political strategy, not religious belief) may not have been the way you and the rest of us progressives would like, but it is still a risky move for him to make in an election year. Marriage has always been a state issue, and if Obama tried to chagne that fact, it would be political suicide. Maybe this is late, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still bold for a sitting president up for reelection. Keep frying him for drone strikes and further unchecked wall street corruption. But the worst we should be saying today is “finally.” And the best is “thanks.”
Greg

Reed — Marriage has not always been a state issue. As I recall there is a federal DOMA (signed by a democratic president) the denies LGBT citizens hundreds or federal rights. And as long as Obama continues to weakly claim that marriage is up to the states, we are going to keep having situations like the debacle in NC. As a friend of mine put it very succinctly: “Human Rights > State Rights.” And until this is recognized as a human rights issue, I have to agree with Aaron K.
http://twitter.com/BoShuff Bo Shuff

Obama has endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act as well as called for it’s passage. He’s also told the AG to stop enforcing DOMA. That’s as far as his official powers allow him to go. Now he’s using the bully pulpit to move the collective thoughts of the nation.