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At the gay rights rally on January 15, 2005, held in front of the Ohio Statehouse, Lynn Bowman, speaking for the Human Rights Campaign, told 80 Ohio gays to “get over it.”
Bowman knows of what she speaks when she conveys HRC views on the 11 states that passed anti-gay legislation last November. She serves on HRC’s Board of Governors, as the Regional Co-Chair for the Northern Region of the US, and on HRC’s Steering Committee. She relayed the apparent sentiments of HRC leadership with shockingly direct abuse.
Had I made some quantum leap into a parallel universe? Was I listening to the rhetoric of the rabid right, “I have three words for you: Get over it. Two more: You lost.” being heaped on us by our gay “leaders”? Does HRC think abuse will win new donors? Apparently so.
Single-Issue Politics Is Dead
In a move to gain political power, HRC has joined in a “Consortium” of progressive organizations, recognizing what progressives across the country are seeing: We can’t win with single-issue politics. We must join forces creating an agenda, electing progressive officials who share this agenda.
This idea is being addressed in think-tanks across the country. See S&N’s “The Death of Environmentalism” for a lucid strategy piece written for enviros, but from which the entire progressive movement can benefit1. In fact, that’s the point of the paper.
We all need to acknowledge that we are in a long-term battle with a self-appointed Corporatocracy – it was not elected in 20002 nor in 20043. Its interest is preserving the hydrocarbon-economy for as long as oil and natural gas last – hence our wars in the Middle East.4 This is not about dems and repubs – this battle is between the world’s citizens and the elites who are decimating our planet, our civil rights, and our very lives. You can be sure that none of the 90 US Senators or 400 Reps who voted to give $166 billion for the illegal war on Iraq5 has a son or daughter in the war zone. Self-serving elites are pursuing a war paid for with public dollars and public lives, for the pursuit of profits and world control.
The minister who spoke at today’s rally understands this. We all need to wake up, like Neo and Trinity, and resist the takeover. We need to join hands, globally, on all progressive issues.
What we don’t need is abusive leaders telling us to “get over it.” I refuse to get over rigged elections and I refuse to get over the loss of my civil rights. I refuse to get over the war and I reject leaders who would tell us to do so. More importantly, I am not alone in these sentiments. Millions join me, worldwide.
Here’s a link for actions being held on January 20th: http://www.votecobb.org/resources/sites
1. Shellenberger, Michael, & T. Nordhaus, “The Death of Environmentalism,” presented at the Environmental Grantmakers Assn. October 2004, reprinted at www.grist.org/new/maindish/2005/01/13/doe-reprint/ 25 p.
2. U.S. Supreme Court, Gore v. Bush, Dec. 12, 2000, ordering the halt of the Florida recount, thereby appointing Bush President.
3. House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff, Status Report, “Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio,” January 5, 2005, 102 p.
4. Michael C. Ruppert, Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil,” New Society Publishers, 2004, 674 p.
5. Project Vote Smart, “The Voter’s Self-Defense Manual,” ed. 2004, www.vote-smart.org 101 p. (pp 15 and 35 for a breakdown of votes on funding the Iraq war)
Bowman knows of what she speaks when she conveys HRC views on the 11 states that passed anti-gay legislation last November. She serves on HRC’s Board of Governors, as the Regional Co-Chair for the Northern Region of the US, and on HRC’s Steering Committee. She relayed the apparent sentiments of HRC leadership with shockingly direct abuse.
Had I made some quantum leap into a parallel universe? Was I listening to the rhetoric of the rabid right, “I have three words for you: Get over it. Two more: You lost.” being heaped on us by our gay “leaders”? Does HRC think abuse will win new donors? Apparently so.
Single-Issue Politics Is Dead
In a move to gain political power, HRC has joined in a “Consortium” of progressive organizations, recognizing what progressives across the country are seeing: We can’t win with single-issue politics. We must join forces creating an agenda, electing progressive officials who share this agenda.
This idea is being addressed in think-tanks across the country. See S&N’s “The Death of Environmentalism” for a lucid strategy piece written for enviros, but from which the entire progressive movement can benefit1. In fact, that’s the point of the paper.
We all need to acknowledge that we are in a long-term battle with a self-appointed Corporatocracy – it was not elected in 20002 nor in 20043. Its interest is preserving the hydrocarbon-economy for as long as oil and natural gas last – hence our wars in the Middle East.4 This is not about dems and repubs – this battle is between the world’s citizens and the elites who are decimating our planet, our civil rights, and our very lives. You can be sure that none of the 90 US Senators or 400 Reps who voted to give $166 billion for the illegal war on Iraq5 has a son or daughter in the war zone. Self-serving elites are pursuing a war paid for with public dollars and public lives, for the pursuit of profits and world control.
The minister who spoke at today’s rally understands this. We all need to wake up, like Neo and Trinity, and resist the takeover. We need to join hands, globally, on all progressive issues.
What we don’t need is abusive leaders telling us to “get over it.” I refuse to get over rigged elections and I refuse to get over the loss of my civil rights. I refuse to get over the war and I reject leaders who would tell us to do so. More importantly, I am not alone in these sentiments. Millions join me, worldwide.
Here’s a link for actions being held on January 20th: http://www.votecobb.org/resources/sites
1. Shellenberger, Michael, & T. Nordhaus, “The Death of Environmentalism,” presented at the Environmental Grantmakers Assn. October 2004, reprinted at www.grist.org/new/maindish/2005/01/13/doe-reprint/ 25 p.
2. U.S. Supreme Court, Gore v. Bush, Dec. 12, 2000, ordering the halt of the Florida recount, thereby appointing Bush President.
3. House Judiciary Committee Democratic Staff, Status Report, “Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio,” January 5, 2005, 102 p.
4. Michael C. Ruppert, Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil,” New Society Publishers, 2004, 674 p.
5. Project Vote Smart, “The Voter’s Self-Defense Manual,” ed. 2004, www.vote-smart.org 101 p. (pp 15 and 35 for a breakdown of votes on funding the Iraq war)