There is great fear that the majority of voters in North Carolina tomorrow will institutionalize discrimination, prejudice, and hate in the state constitution with the expected passage of Amendment One, endorsed by Franklin Graham, and his distinguished father, the Reverend Billy Graham, who should be totally ashamed of themselves!
North Carolina and other Southern states used to deny racial intermarriage, and institutionalized hate, prejudice and discrimination in the state constitutions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
One would think we are beyond this in the 21st century, and that we should not allow the ignorance of people to become law!
It is shameful to let people VOTE on basic human rights, including gay rights and gay marriage rights.
When it comes to personal human rights, there should NOT be any vote, as those personal human rights should be guaranteed in the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”
If we had a vote on whether women should be denied the right to vote; blacks should be segregated; job discrimination against Jews, Catholics, and others should be reinstituted; workers should be denied collective bargaining; and many other social advancements that people gave their “blood, sweat and tears” for, it is possible that the masses would vote to deny basic rights.
But that is not what a democracy is, to allow prejudice, hate, and discrimination to rule the day!
We have come too far in our national history to allow this to happen, and to sit idly by!
If North Carolina adopts Amendment One, we all should hold our heads in shame and weep!
I’ve been following politics and national (as well as cultural) matters as best as I could since I was about 12 years old, and it wasn’t until I reached the latter half of my college career that I began to notice the alarming rate in which we have begun to move backwards as a nation, particularly in matters of ethics and civil rights.
In 2008 the majority of voters in America voted for change, but I think for every person that looks forward to change there are two or three people who are absolutely frightened of it. I like to think that this is the reason for all this backlash that we’re seeing, and this ultra-conservative rise in politics (though it’s not so much conservative as it’s simply bigotry). People who don’t desire change or progression ultimately do whatever possible to tug at the rope in the opposite direction, even if that direction would harm them in the long run.
Every day I’m more ashamed to see these pieces of legislation meant to harm basic human rights and freedoms. The rest of the world must view us as hypocrites!
Hello Professor and Bella,
I remember well here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland the signs of “White Only and Black Only†over the doors of bathrooms, water fountains, and such…..and as late as 1972.
As I have now gone into my 6th decade, I cannot believe the regressive slide “Back To The Good O’l Days†we as a nation have seen here of late. “You Can Tell We Are Christians By Our LOVE†Franklin Graham’s version must exclude anyone who does not fit into our looks, accents, and Social NIHILISMS!!
As Reverend Billy Graham was once considered a Christian Man, this latest “Coming to Political Light of institutionalize discrimination, prejudice, and hate,†one has to ask themselves what Little Frankie heard in the privacy of their home when the “Evangelical TV Cameras†were turned off.
I thought this was all done and settled in the 1960’s. Where I thought we as a nation had come so far with regards to the enlightenment and treatment of our fellow American country men, those whom stepped up to defend and support our country, that we as a nation would even consider much less allow the repressive laws solely directed towards others. How did we regress back to this point? What a sad statement for the legislators of North Carolina. Let’s not just point at North Carolina because if this “Amendment One†does succeed, there will be plenty of other States willing to assimilate with more of their own such laws.
Professor and Bella, I truly feel that I have woken up IN a bad dream of some Bizzaro World!!
Yes, sadly, I agree with you, as we are witnessing a sharp move to the Right, and it may soon look like Fascism was, I fear.
The “war” against women, blacks, gays, the poor, immigrants, labor, environmental protection, consumer protection, the elderly, etc is totally terrifying, and to think how much of this is based on a distorted view of Christianity and organized religion in general, is very troubling.
That is why anyone concerned about this state of affairs cannot withdraw, avoid voting, and shun taking responsibility to spread the word of what needs to be done to insure that the Republican, conservative, and religious agenda is defeated soundly this November, and not just for the Presidency, but also for Congress, so that we can insure that the federal courts do not also go further Right than they are already!