Apologia for restricting civil rights.

[Zhade]

It's getting more and more distressing to read some DUers rationalize the further restriction of civil rights, such as a woman's right to control her own body. More than once, when it comes to banning abortions or gay marriage, or the Patriot Act, or any number of civil rights-crushing legislation, I hear the following:

"It's what the voters want."

"Hey, it's a red state, what can s/he do? Gotta get reelected!"

"Maybe that's what ____ supports."

Well, excuse the fuck outta me, but when did it become acceptable to Democrats to restrict our civil rights? When did even DUers, for crying out loud, decide that civil rights are somehow up for a vote?

Here's a clue, all you knuckle-dragging anti-equal rights pro-authoritarians: CIVIL RIGHTS ARE NOT UP FOR GRABS. MAJORITY DOES NOT RULE ON THESE ISSUES.

Take the Louisiana abortion ban. Yeah, the south is more conservative. Yeah, Blanco doesn't want to piss off the anti-choicers. Yeah, she's against abortion, and apparently (since she will sign the bill) against her own gender controlling their own bodies. But guess what? IT'S STILL NOT UP FOR DEBATE.

The ban is unconstitutional. When you read about these kinds of anti-civil rights legislations and movements, I submit that your reaction shouldn't be "well, shucks, we need disaffected Republicans to swing our way". Your initial reaction shouldn't be to offer up a rationalization.

Your immediate reaction, if you actually do believe in civil rights, should be to scream bloody murder at the demolition of same! I will say this unequivocally: if you support the restriction of civil rights, I want nothing to do with you. You are worse than useless to us. YOU ARE A PARIAH, and I hope you fuck off and take your freedom-killing myopia with you.

Now, most DUers don't support the evisceration of our civil rights. This is not directed at you. This is directed at the conservative Dems...those DLCers who applaud things like the Patriot Act...the trolls who do nothing but post bad news for us liberals - in short, those who oppose us but think, or give the impression, that they can be part of the party and be against maintaining our civil rights at the same time.

I know the old argument: "but Z, the past was NEVER as rosy as liberals say, blah blah blah". Yeah, I get it. We used to have people like those I'm bitching about in the party. Had 'em for decades, and they fought tooth-and-nail against equality until they finally lost and bailed like the self-interested bigoted traitors they were.

We called those freaks DIXIECRATS.

Do we really want that mindset in the party? If not, fight as hard as you can against this rationalization of the removal of our rights.

</rant>

[REP]

1. Damn Straight

Every time I see a post from someone offering to give up one of MY rights, I always wonder which of their rights they'd be willing to bargain away.

We don't win by backing down. We win by standing our ground.

[Zhade]

2. "We win by standing our ground."

You'd think the party leaders would get that by now!

[Lib Grrrrl]

3. What Zhade Said!!

As a transgender woman, this really hits for me! Hard!!

Especially THIS quote, which I only WISH I'd vocalized here first, but, damn, I feel exactly the same...

I will say this unequivocally: if you support the restriction of civil rights, I want nothing to do with you. You are worse than useless to us. YOU ARE A PARIAH, and I hope you fuck off and take your freedom-killing myopia with you.

P.S. Zhade...may I PLEASE use that line in my signature line, and give you credit for it??

[Zhade]

6. I'd be honored..

:)

[JackDragna]

4. I live in Louisiana..

..and I'm amazed at how short-sighted our politicians are. We enjoy our reputation as go-as-you-please, fun loving people, but we're more than willing to put the boot to people we don't like. Ugh.

[AndyTiedye]

5. Used to Call them Boll Weevils

We call those freaks DIXIECRATS

[BlooInBloo]

7. Wish I could say more, but I'll let it go with: he shoots, he scores!

[NMMNG]

8. Oh come now Zhade

We need to let the Fundamentalists win a few, just so they don't think we're adversarial to their deeply held beliefs. We can't just piss off 34% of the nation that believes the Bible is the literal word of God. :sarcasm:













;-)

[Zhade]

10. Anyone who believes the bible is 100% literally true...

...is not someone I want to win ANY election.

[NMMNG]

16. I'm with you there

Those people scare me. :scared:

Another DUer observed last night that the percentage of people who believe that the Bible is 100% true (about 34%) and the number of people who still think Chimpy is a great guy (roughly 29%) are eerily close. I wonder if they are all the same contingent. :hide:

[Random_Australian]

9. Kick. Recommend.

[Zhade]

11. I'm SHOCKED that there have been so few replies.

Am I shouting into the wind? Are civil rights NOT to be defended vociferously?

Or is that damn Abu Musab al-Goldstein and his (4th? 5th?) death overshadowing my call-to-arms?

DAMN YOU AL-GOLDSTEIN!

[LostinVA]

13. And, may I say how heartening it is to have a DU man say this?

Kudos and cyber hugs to a REAL man, not a boy who cares about no one but himself.

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[LostinVA]

12. Yay for Zhade!

It's been a bit... anger-inducing to read all these anti-gay and anti-female civil rights stuff lately. MY personal fav: "We have more important things." CIVIL RIGHTS isn't one of the most important things????

[Zhade]

14. Exactly!

NT!

[MisterP]

15. but don't you know the importance of being window dressing?!

:crazy:

[undergroundpanther]

17. This is what my health fascism posts are about

Public health is one way athorittarianss gert to intrude into our lives and erode outr RIGHTS. Nothing like for your own good and health to rationalize eroding others freedoms huh?

Great POST!

[BlooInBloo]

18. I'm TOTALLY with ya in spirit - I disagree on the "red state Democrat"...

... issue tho...

Even though we won't get, eg, Ben Nelson to vote for the good stuff a fair amount of the time, it's STILL (imo) worth supporting him for two reasons:

(1) He'll vote for the good stuff a LOT more than a republican would, and

(2) With him we get and easier shot at running Congress, with committee chairs and all, which MASSIVELY helps us get the good stuff going. One step back, two steps forward, as it were.

But I'm totally with ya in principle - I only disagree on a sorta small-ish factoid.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[undergroundpanther]

20. When rights go away

It will dissapear in the name of Elitism. Elitism can be by body size/type/weight among other things..It begins with scapegoats and the reaction and the cry sometthing must be done about__ and the people turn to the state to FIX them.. Anmerica is being twisted by a form of social darwinism. It is scary when the STATE enforces rules on lifestyles and encourages bigoted scapegoating of people who don't fit the 'ideal'.
It's the same bad agenda again. It doesn't matter if it is rationalized as race,or sexuality or as a "health crisis requiring the state to force fat people to lose weight,the results for the victims are all the same.

The"undesirables" get scapegoated,BLAMED ,victimized,shunned,denied rights,humiliated,forced to fix themselves or suffer regardless of the causes ,and they will be made the dumping ground for all of a sick societies suffering,and unresolved cultural issues like child abuse,or rape or other problems like corporate intrusion.They will lose thier rights first.Fascism as a belief system is about action,about self aggrandizing ,it glorifies the idealized body,the state,health and encourages the vain pursuit of the perfect physique. If individuals won't whip themselves into shape the state will force them.

Remember the nazis wanted a perfect master race.. What types of flesh personified imperfection to Nazis? Any kind of softness,intellectualism,creativity, gentleness,impurity,and femininity. Fascists and authoritarians have a deep hate of equality,empathy,and 'softness'. To fascists liberalism was weakness and it symbolized the other, personified by independent women,fat people and the bodies of other "impure" races.
Social darwinism was invoked in the name of "public health". The "others" were whipped into shape or destroyed to purge the nation of "weakness" and the hated softness and woman like character. To a person who was not pure enough,vigorous enough healthy enough it is bullying and domination for those unable to fit the pogrom and "shape up". And there are plenty of health bullies who don't even realize what they advocate,and what it would mean if the state took away our"softness" ...even on DU.