Today is the 150th anniversary of the surrender of the last Confederate general actively fighting the Civil War, which makes the bugle calls of “RETREAT” among Neo-Confederates finally willing to fold up and stow their battle flags especially sweet. But there’s another reason that today is sweet — and it’s both current and closer to home.
A court has agreed with Attorney General Kamala Harris that she need not process the ballot initiative for the disgusting and patently unconstitutional “Sodomite Suppression Act,” which earlier this year crawled out of a filthy hole right here in Huntington Beach. The proposed constitutional amendment would, among other things, legalize the murder of LGBT people.
Well, regardless of whether he (futilely) appeals, the attorney behind the bill has successfully — how did we say this when I was young? — gotten his rocks off. What I find surprising in my own response to it is not just my continued anger and disgust that anyone would try this and happiness and relief that it’s being stopped, but something extra as well. Something … quaint.
As we prepare for the probable (fingers crossed) constitutional legitimization of same-sex marriage by the Supreme Court; as we witness the sudden collapse of the fiction that waving the Confederate flag is not largely and essentially about promoting white supremacy, including legal power and superiority over minorities; the Sodomite Suppression Act has come to seem like a relic of another time. It binds together the Neo-Confederate delight in violence with the oppression of minorities. And the opinion of the court is — that we really don’t have to put up with it. It does not warrant our respect. Some things, a relatively limited number, are simply beyond the pale — and this nonsense is among them.
I grew up, as did many of you, in a world where homosexuals were in the closet and Neo-Confederates were open and proud. Now they seem to be exchanging positions. I have nothing against Southern pride — and I hope that it can come out and blossom now, shorn of its association with violent bigotry. The South has a lot to celebrate — its multi-ethnic heritage (well exceeding most of the rest of the country); it’s history of political populism; its many people, from federal judges to church workers, on the front lines (as most of us are not) fighting and surpassing its own history of prejudice; its cuisine, its literature, its music, and its warrior creed and competence as well. We’ll find a better symbol for the South to venerate before long. In the land of Rev. King and Rev. Abernathy, of Hugo Black and Judge Frank Johnson, of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Conner, there can be no shortage of ideas and ideals to celebrate beyond the forcible subjugation of supposed inferiors. Those knaves can go back into the closet where they belong.
And we, outside of the South, we have our own crosses to bear as well. One of them is that the proponent of the Sodomy Suppression Act could ever think that he had a fighting chance of success. Let him — like the Klan, like the Neo-Confederates — steep evermore in shame.
Couldn’t said lawyer be disbarred for promoting a heinous act of violence ie. murder. Isn’t his initiative a violation of the law?
Some attorneys have discussed putting in a complaint with the State Bar against the sponsoring attorney. I don’t know whether they have done so.
1. don’t you listen to them lying sheep
2. thank you for acknowledging that there are some good things in the south
“a world where homosexuals were in the closet and Neo-Confederates were open and proud. Now they seem to be exchanging positions. ”
LOL, that reminds me of what it was like to be an anti-Iraq war protester in 2003-6.
In early ’03, when the Bush Invasion had 70% public support and people still kinda thought that Saddam Hussein invaded us on Sept 11, we would get things thrown at us, and get yelled at by people stupidly saying “USA! USA!”… and every once in a while a car would pull over and the driver quietly confide, “I agree with you, please keep it up.”
Three years later, everybody honked and waved peace signs at us, and the occasional war booster would wait till the light turned green to quickly flip us off and jet away…
And the die-hard McCain-type/idiot/neocons kept beating the Iraq drum well into 2008.
I can remember arguing with The Jerb in. He kept blathering about “cut and running” and giving Petraeus his “surge” as if the end game could possibly be anything other than a complete disintegration of Iraq. And now even Iran is starting to look good. What an unmitigated disaster. And these same a-holes blame Obama for not being able to fix Bush’s fiasco.
Yeah, a dumb party-line hack whenever it didn’t contradict his bottom line. Depressing to have to argue with someone who probably doesn’t believe deeply in what he’s saying, or in anything else.
Depressing and pointless. That’s when I quit blogging for a long time.
my point exactly, you were disparaged but nobody took away your signs or flags, disparage the south all you want, and do not sing those randy newman songs, but allow them to keep their signs, flags and opinions
Do you mean those GREAT Randy Newman songs?
“Climb aboard little wog, sail away with me.”
“We’re rednecks, we’re rednecks, we don’t know our ass from a…”
“Kamila knows best! The right of people to have unrighteous positions does not deserve the death penalty……..or even a date with Elton John.
i was thinking more like “boom goes paris, more room for you, more room for me”
thank you
and today………… they couldn’t keep THAT girl down!
actually, I was talking “political science”
*About 12 years ago, we got a Survey from the local Gender Optional folks, as we ran for various public offices. Back in those days…..there was a huge contingent of “Dykes on Bikes” that had their annual parade in Costa Mesa. They seemed especially militant at the time. We filled out the Survey and suggested that in order to be accepted in Society…you have to be willing to do for others. We suggested that a softer and more giving approach to the LGBT promotion be established, so that local communities would be more accepting of what they were up to. It was pretty neat to see that many in the LGBT Community listened to what we suggested and the results Nationally have been basically very beneficial. We congratulate those that put in the effort to not be militant, angry and mean……that instead began participating in such endeavors as Susan G. Komen and many other organizations which were dedicated to women’s health and other charities of value to the the society. The President said it best yesterday: “We are all sinners……and it is only with God’s Grace…..that we are allowed to see!”. There is little doubt that our society has changed greatly from the 1950-1960’s and our Ozzie and Harriet World. Is it really for the better? Guess we will have to wait another 50 years to figure that out. Congratulations to those in the LGBT
Community that were able to keep their kindness throughout the the process. Our black brothers and sisters might take heed of how the LGBT Community achieved success – in their efforts for equal rights under the law….. We can only hope!