Spoke to my active duty lesbian sister last night...

My little sister is active duty army, currently stationed at Scofield Barracks in Hawaii. She can't tell me where she's going next, but she likes to check in from time to time to let me know she's okay. she just did a 4 year stint, and signed up for another 5

I asked her about Rick Warren (amongst other things), and how she felt about that. She said:

"who gives a shit."

i said, "huh?"

she said, "okay so the guy is an asshole and a bigot. what do you mean how do i feel?"

i explained, "aren't you offended that O would pick some stupid asshole to do an invocation at the inauguration? don't you feel betrayed? doesn't that feel like a slap in the face?"

she went on to explain, "is this dumbass going to be the president? no. he's some asshole he picked to do a prayer. we're both atheist so to me the invocation is a dog and pony show for the xian base for both dems and republicans anyways. it's all bullshit. i'm pretty sure he's not going on a gay witch hunt just because he picked some homophobe to lead in a theatrical presentation of whose faith is bigger, or whatever." (or something to that effect. trying to paraphrase here.)

she went on to explain that she felt that it doesn't matter what someone doing a prayer thought, he's not running the show. she didn't vote for Rick Warren, she voted for O. etc etc etc.

she kind of put it in perspective. i've been pretty pissed about it because i felt like it IS a huge slap in the face of a very large chunk of those who voted for him, but i kinda see her point too. i'm still pissed, but i guess i feel a little foolish after witnessing her calm and cool reaction to the situation.

i mean, in the end it's not Rick Warren creating policy. It's Obama. I think the invocation is a stupid fucking idea to begin with, but if they're going to do it, it would have been nice to see the religo dude they had at the Obama rally at Ault Park here in CIncinnati. that dude was funny and he was inclusive with all religions, and lack there of. it was pretty cool.

I don't know, i think my sister might be taking too much of a liad back approach about this, but she has a valid point. who the fuck really cares about some doosh that has no influence giving a public request to the invisible boogeyman in the sky? it all seems very nonsensical to me now.

That's pretty much my take on it.

I've said it before, you have to choose your battles wisely.

anyone in the family being able to successfully debate me on anything.

she's lethal. love her to death. i am upset with her about signing up for another 5 fucking yrs though.

i miss her a lot. we all do.

But I'm straight (sounds like my loss). She sounds like someone who puts things into their proper perspective.

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

that his choices so far as PE augur some conservative policy decisions when he is president, under the auspices of building a bridge.

Distrust of a politician -- ESPECIALLY one whom you helped elect -- is healthy, and I think history has borne out the truth to the cynicism.

On the other hand, it's just as legitimate to read Obama's PE decisions so far as gathering a wider base of supporters, the better to find universal support for an ultimately liberal and progressive policy.

I share the disappointment that he'll give the invocation, but I'm not seeing it as a anything more than than the religious groups trying to spread their hatred. No one in their right mind is going to suddenly start hating their fellow man. These so-called Christians are screaming like banshees even as they lose ground and slide into the muck of their own making. Their very presence is creating the very thing their trying to destroy.

Just like the excesses of the Bush administration created the opening for Obama through the inevitable creation of the backlash of sanity so will (and is) happen with these Christian Megachurch Hatemongers. The louder they scream sexism and bigotry, the bigger the backlash. Prop 8 has actually created a really great backlash. Let's not forget that.

that would really launch a "great backlash" wouldn't it?

I'm on the side of the gay community. But I do think my own thoughts. Go take out your sarcastic anger on the people who have caused it. Your verbal 'backlash' is aimed in the wrong direction here.

Period.

Warren is surely not there for me, progressive atheist. And to put it mildly, I think he sucks, big time. But Obama has shown himself to be a strategic thinker, and to the vast majority of Americans, I think Warren is a neutral character. He is not seen as a Falwell, Robertson or Haggard. (I'm not saying he isn't every bit as foul as those others, just that it's a perception by the public.)

It may be that this well go a long way to neutralizing Warren for the future. Any opposition he has to Obama may be discounted with "Well he spoke at the inauguration."

This might be another case of Obama being even smarter than we think. You gotta catch fish if you want to eat sushi.

I don't approve of Warren, and I wouldn't have done this, but I'm not the president elect.

--IMM

finally a voice of sense. I think the past 8 years have built a tower of pessimism in many of us- and it was not without reason. It has become habit to rage about just about anything. Don't sweat the small stuff!

Not saying I agree, but it's worth hearing all the same.

:dem:

-Laelth

their spiritual journey is important, and they consider themselves Christians. They were also big supporters of Obama. To them, this is business as usual. Continue to give the bigots a forum.

Obama could have found hundreds, if not thousands, of inclusive Christian ministers who would reflect
the beliefs of his supporters, rather than the bigot that he chose, to give the invocation.

in this paragraph:

"she went on to explain, "is this dumbass going to be the president? no. he's some asshole he picked to do a prayer. we're both atheist so to me the invocation is a dog and pony show for the xian base for both dems and republicans anyways. it's all bullshit. i'm pretty sure he's not going on a gay witch hunt just because he picked some homophobe to lead in a theatrical presentation of whose faith is bigger, or whatever." (or something to that effect. trying to paraphrase here.)"


But Obama should've have, and could've, picked somebody else.

her service and thanks for sharing the story.

Great big bouncing balls...