Reply #40: A huge issue to me [View All]

[Bluenorthwest]

But you see, I was raised in Pentacostal church. I have been involved with the Gospel music world via associations with performers, as well as via fundraising to battle HIV in minority communities for over 20 years. People like Donnie create the environment of fear and shame that is the reason the black community has always had the highest infection rates and still does. Fastest growing, straight black women who' men lead the DL life.
It is an issue from my life. The notion that there is any role for Caldwell or McClurkin in positive dialouge 20 years after the devastation that springs from ignorance made itself so murderously manifest in our cities and our world. They would still rather see people die than can their brand of hatred.
Still not bothered much? I am sure you are not. 20 years of death and still defenders of the bigots. Well, I guess it is mostly black folk, so who cares, right? No skin off your stick, eh?

Here's the deal for all you malinformed late to the game commenters who have not been following the action until a couple of months ago: Donnie McClurkin is a Fundy activist, a Republican who sang on national TV to Bush in 2004 at the GOP Convention. When I saw that I thought ' fuck Bush and his bigot buddies, pandering to the hate, this is why they are the enemy and we are the Democrats.' So imagine my suprise when 3 short years later our rising star invites this self same Bushie so come up and not just sing, but preach openly against gays! Sorry if I don't just dig it 'cause Obama did it. I know who this Donnie is and have for years. A member of the religious right, a conservative political activist. Same as another of the Obama Fundies, 'Rev' Kirbyjon Caldwell, a leader of the Ex-gay child abuse industry and well known as George W Bush's spiritual adviser. Caldwell says he asked Bush's permission before joining Obama's Fundy Road Show.
These people are the religious right. Anti-choice, anti- science, anti-sex ed, the whole enchilada. Oh, yeah, and virulently bigoted against gay.
If one of these mental cases had gone off for 15 minutes against choice at an Obama event, what would have happened? Or 15 minutes against Mexicans? Jews?
An issue larger than Obama, I ask you, shall we welcome into the Democratic Party the blatant use of minority groups to drive wedges and pander to 'communities' that share the hate? Shall we really? Did it work for the GOP? I mean homophobia in the black church is not the only case of culture specific prejudices. Do each of these cultures get candidates that play to those prejudices as well? If so we will have a Party in tatters.
If Obama was the Democratic Party I'd be long gone. Here is a quote from Democratic Sentorial candidate in Oregon, Steve Novick that might remind us how Democrats are supposed to sound:

"I realize that I disagree with many Oregon voters on this issue, and that taking this position just might cost me the election. But I cannot accept the state telling a loving, committed same-sex couple, “you have no right to get married.” The Declaration of Independence says that we all have the right to “the pursuit of happiness.” I believe that to be true to that principle, we need marriage equality."

That is a courageous call to unity. That is a Democrat.