Reply #95: Patience, faith, courage , and calm

[Enjolras]

These are the elements we need just now, and if we have them, justice will prevail in the end. We just need to believe. That's the "faith".

The "patience" is in recognition that acceptance of this may take some time. It's possible that promoting gay marriage now may help Bush win re-election (Though not as much as some may think, since the most heated opposition is in states wh know he'll win anyway), but contrary to popular belief among DUer's, the world won't actually come to an end if he does. And if we don't get the ball rolling sometime, acceptance will NEVER happen. You have to be willing to lose the next election, in the belief that standing on principle will improve your chances for the one after that. That's where the "courage" comes in.

So when you read the polls showing how many Americans are opposed to the idea, do not panic. Be "calm". Personally, I think those numbers are soft anyway. Heck, in Bush's first year, I read an article in either USA Today or MSNBC about how Rove was looking at ways to subtly court the gay vote. Bush himself finally met with the Log Cabin Republicans around then. Does that tell you anything?

This issue riles up the faithful in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, S. Carolina, etc., which are solidly red states anyway. But not so much Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, etc., all of which have significantly large and active gay populations. The gay community has proven adept at political activism and is a proven source of campaign cash, WHEN GIVEN A GOOD REASON. (This is why the Bushies were looking at ways to court them.) So, let's give them one, and do what we know in our hearts is right at the same time. Let's get busy eliminating another insidious double standard. Be prepared for the long haul, because as I've said, it may take a while. Ultimately, faith and courage will ensure the victory of justice, just as it did in the battle against Jim Crow.