So get this. An angry mob is trying to deprive a minority group of their constitutional rights. Can you believe it? Apparently, in an effort to find an issue on which they can campaign and raise money and viewership, a groups of political and media opportunists have whipped a local zoning issue in New York into a national frenzy.
All I can say is: “Welcome to my world!”
Monday, over 3 million Californians once again had their civil rights suspended. But the news on every front page and network is that a religious group wants to build a community center and the Foxpulicans need an issue to run on since they haven’t done or stood up for anything decent in the last ten years.
It kind of kills me that no one sees or mentions the correlation. It’s really the same issue. The majority, whatever their feelings, does not get to deprive the minority of the rights that the majority enjoys. That’s what the constitution guarantees. It’s really the whole ball game as far as the founding principles of the country goes. Taking away people’s rights is as anti-American as it gets.
My point is, when you let it happen to gay people, then it can happen to you.
So now it’s Muslims. Who’s next? Catholics have gotten a lot of bad press here lately. Maybe a majority will rise up and not want Catholic Churches in their neighborhoods or to allow Catholics the same rights to marry and raise children as everyone else. If it can happen to me, it can happen to you.
Everyone is a member of a minority.
What if we start rounding up Republicans and putting them in concentration camps? They don’t believe the same things as the majority of Americans, so why not?
Because we’re all in this together, that’s why. If I don’t stick up for your rights, then who will stick up for mine?
I was pleased that the President sorta-kinda-almost stood up for something there for a minute. He said that Muslim Americans were entitled to the same civil rights as all Americans before he kinda-sorta took it back. But if he really believes that, where the hell has he been on Prop H8 and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell? What happened to repealing DOMA?
It isn’t a question of whether or not you believe that gay people should be able to get married or Catholics should be allowed to practice their faith openly or that Republicans should be free to move about the country.
The ONLY questions is: Do you believe in equal rights for all Americans?
That’s it. The people who don’t want the Muslim Community Center and the ones supporting Prop H8 do not believe in equal rights for all Americans. They are Anti-American. Let’s start painting them with that brush. Let’s get away a from the politics of division and find something we can all agree on.
I believe in equal rights for all Americans. Do you?
I think it’s a simple question and I think it’s time we started asking it of all these hate and fear mongers who’ve been doing all they can to get out the bigot vote, raise money and build ratings.
If we expect to start finding some answers, we have got to stop asking the wrong questions. Do you believe in abortion? Do you believe in gay marriage? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you think the one true god is Allah and Mohammed is his prophet? Because the answer to all those questions is the same. Who cares? Good for you. This is America, you get to believe whatever you want and so do I.
The question that unites us and the one we ought to start asking these pundits and politicians who seek to divide us is:
Do you believe in equal rights for all Americans?
Honestly? I think we all do. I just think in all the noise and confusion of this media fueled, soulless age of cynicism in which we live we’ve forgotten the only question that matters.
And it’s a tough question.
If you believe in equal rights for all American you believe in the Muslim Community Center. You believe that gay people have a right to marry even if you disagree with their choice. It means you believe that Catholics and Mormons can refuse to marry gay people in their churches. It means that the Nazis and the KKK can believe whatever it is that they believe. It means that even if you don’t believe as I do that you don’t get to tell me what to believe. That is equal rights for all Americans.
And if you don’t believe in that, then you don’t really believe in America.
Let’s get this question out there. Let’s start asking all those who would tear us apart for their own gain with their spurious questions of our articles of faith. But let’s start where it counts.
The next time you hear some tree hugger or some right wingnut railing on about something that makes you want to sew their lips shut, ask yourself: Do you believe in equal rights for all Americans?
Eric Shaw Quinn 
I am not an American, but I do believe in equal rights for all human beings. I believe in one’s right to choose what is true to them, what works best for them, and remembering that everyone is DIFFERENT in many ways. The more we try to group things together and put them in boxes, the more obvious it gets that everyone is a gazillion little boxes that can’t be put into someone else’s box….it just can’t be done. We want to pretend we are all the same because it is less scary out there if we feel that we belong somewhere, that we have the same feelings and opinions as a majority of other people, but each person’s opinion no matter how close to someone else’s, is still a shade or two off… So if we are going to go out there and discuss what is right and wrong, then we’d better be prepared to have about a gazillion answers that fall into the ‘right’ category…and about the same amount of reasons if you decide it falls into the ‘wrong’ category. Everyone these days feels like they are overworked and underpaid and somehow being taken advantage of….the grass is always greener…is it that we need to stop thinking as consumers and start thinking as humans?
Every country in the world looks to America as the land of opportunity, but should they be wondering now is the opportunity at someone else’s expense? I know I have a point in here somewhere….I just want to say that I agree with Eric on this one and feel he has a great mind…keep on writing sir!
“My point is, when you let it happen to gay people, then it can happen to you.”
Great line!!
Brilliant! With one caveat. Religion is a choice. My gay sexual orientation was no more choice than my left-handedness. I hate seeing choice and genetic programming equated.
But I will go to my grave supporting the constitutional right of religious choice (no matter how absurd I find it) and the separation of Church (or the magic architecture of one’s choice) and State.
Eric, you are so talented.. i love you. I do agree here. I am a very LIBERAL registered Republican.I would chnge to independent but don’t want the junk mail … your blogs open my eyes in all directions to absorb truths not always so obvious. (i had parents that opened our home to EVERYONE and that molded me in a very positive way)
But, honestly, I can’t imagine how it feels to love deeply and not be able to go the next step, Marriage! I am truly sorry for those that can’t and rightfully should be able to get married. keep it up because one day the right person will be out there reading and listening…
All I can say is “BRAVO”!!!
You seem to think a religion acting within its legal rights should be immune to criticism. In other words, that freedom of religion cancels freedom of speech.
The “angry mob” is expressing itself on the propriety of the project, not its legality.
Very nice piece, Eric, nicely written and rationally argued, unlike the other side’s gigantic electronic bullhorn of hate.
We all know these are lies they’re promoting, and even they know it–but the point is the keep things in chaos and render the country unworkable until they can get behind the wheel again.
At least in the French Revolution you knew where the bastards lived.
What did you think of Dr. Laura’s rant?