Obama's choice of Rick Warren disappointing
I was proofing pages for the magazine this morning and returned to find numerous emails and news reports about Obama choosing Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation. It's a very disappointing choice, despite Obama's comment that he wants to be all inclusive, extend an olive branch, blah, blah, blah. That's very presidential of Obama, but giving a virulent homophobe a prime time gig just legitimizes Warren's stance and is a slap in the face to the GLBTQ community who earnestly supported him. Obama defended his decision and said this in a news conference this afternoon: "I think that it is no secret that I am a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans. It is something that I have been consistent on, and I intend to continue to be consistent on during my presidency."And while I applaud Obama's idealism, the reality is that if McCain was being sworn in on Jan. 20, he wouldn't have extended the same courtesy. The Christian right wing doesn't do olive branches -- no matter what God or Jesus said -- and Warren's Saddleback Church fought hard for the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Warren has been quoted as saying about gay marriage that the country shouldn't give in to what "two percent" of the population wants because Jesus wouldn't like it.
I haven't lost my faith in Obama, but I'll be watching closely to see if his "fierce advocacy" remains intact as he moves forward. He doesn't need to pander to the right after eight years of neocons sweeping human and civil rights under the rug. It's not progressive and it's not what America needs.
Comments
Just as King approached the race problem from both sides, Obama may be approaching prejudice against gays in this manner also. Obama will be the POTUS and, as such, hopes to make us see we are all Americans. Having unity as a goal does not negate fighting prejudice and hatred against gays. We should all fight for nothing less than equality. Obama knows what the "prize" is.
GAV
As gay activists protest the selection of evangelical megapastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation, they could have reason to cheer a future Obama announcement. Sources tell NEWSWEEK that the president-elect is considering the appointment of the first openly gay chief of a military branch.
--hopefully this will happen
But remember, when Obama gave the "acceptance" speech, he said to the Right Wing Republicans he would be their president too. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a preacher "they" love who isn't voting down gay rights.
Like he promised and like he did during the election - he's trying to bring all types of folks together. An inauguration with no right-wingers would completely alienate that final group of citizens.
Rick Warren is a bad choice--on many levels.
Obama knows that his first term is the "campaign" for his second - so don't expect anything radical from him. Second term? maybe, even probably. But he'll play it safe for the first.
Yes, Jaxx, I just read at salon.com the more recent quotes from Rick Warren--comparing the LGBT community(who he says constitutes "2%" when we all know quite well that we are at least 10% of this country)to those who commit pedophilia, incest, and other crimes. It is indeed despicable.
I love the idea that by engaging Rick Warren(who has broken with most right-wing evangelicals on Climate Crisis/Global Warming, for example)we can all begin the long-overdue work on the environment. And it'd be great to believe that the right-wingers who DEFINITELY voted for McCain, will see this Presidency as BLESSED by "their" preacher. But it still is absolutely unacceptable that in order to "pay" for that, once again, the entire LGBT community, gets thrown under the bus.
Let's hope the comment saying there'll be an appointment of an "out, gay" military person, is true. It would be a help.
btw, there will be a gay marching band playing at the inauguration, not that it's much consolation. sigh.
My word verification here?The word, "union" !
That's just too weird.