My favorite response to this post at Democratic Underground.
bluenorthwest writes:
Where was this fire over the last 7 years? Voting for a candidate is not exactly the same as actually standing up against an immoral war. I have noticed the lack of involvment by younger people for years now. It is good you are finally waking up a bit, at long loving last! You are in fact late to the game, and that is a bit disappointing.
I'm Obama's age, which is too old for your piece. I'm gay as well. When I came of age, I had the benefit of the great and brave political and social work done by those older than me. They faced a level of repression (arrest for being gay) that I never had to face, because of them. I hold them in great esteem for that. As well I should.
When I was your age, the US government and the insurance companies were pretending AIDS did not exist, and people like me and my friends (gay and straight and by the way black and white and latin and from ages 16-85) organized and protested as our friends and family died at an alarming pace. We pioneered the safe sex guidelines that the world takes for granted. There was talk back then of isolating at risk populations in camps. And we were in the streets.
Had all of this not gone on, what came before me and what I did and do, your life would be very different from the one you now lead. That is the fact. Disprespect that at your own risk, and I heartily recommmend having some level of sucess as an activist prior to condeming those who came before. Electing a Democratic candidate is good, and the more younger people who join in the process the better. But, and please try to really hear this, after Reagan and Bush1, Bill Clinton was every bit as refreshing and new as Obama is today. Electing him was a good thing, but it was by no means enough. He was young and from a non political family, played the sax on MTV and Arsenio, a casual style no one had ever seen in a Presidetial candidate. So the form does not always play out in the function. Forgive me if I need to see results before I proclaim anyone a hero.
I'm not comfortable with the pandering to the ex-gay movement at all. I hope to see Obama clean up those ties or speak directly to the gay community without the code words and all. I might be able to back him if he does. If he keeps that crowd with no balance, I'll not be supporting him actively. I love myself and my family, I vote for our equality and saftey. I vote to keep the bigots at bay, not to invite them to perform at Inauguration.
Be an activist. Stop fawning over Obama and pointing fingers at those who don't, instead try to win some votes, try to improve Obama's rhetoric about gay people by contacting his campaign. That is what you should be doing. Attacking people for being Obama's very own age is a weak tactic and one that will not gain any votes to your side. So much vitriol in the Obama camp, so much willingness to blame and point fingers, but also a lack of honesty about the campaign's own divisiveness in regard to gay baiting. I gave him money way back last year, and he instantly produced events where my family was bashed. So....
But thank your generation for standing up to GW like you did, defending the Constitution and demanding Habeus Corpus restorations! Thanks for the millions of you who hit the streets and refused to be a part of such a mad society...oh wait. You guys did nothing for 7 long years. So thanks for nothing I guess, but welcome to the party, late and behind on your work as you are. Drop the smug and get to work!
the best of the rest:
LWolf
calipendence
weldon berger
bvar22
VotesForWomen
troubleinwinter
femrap
flyarm
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