The only one giving Warren the floor is you.

Just another perspective to consider...

Warren is a much smaller cog in Obama's much larger, well oiled machine. If I can use a Disney analogy, he is essentially one small ( albeit broken down) animatronic display on Obama's "it's a small world after all" themed inauguration ride. Obama knows what he's doing bringing everyone of different beliefs together. He's not showing favoritism or inviting people to deliver hate speeches at his very historical event. His move to choose Warren was not a purposeful slight against the GBLT community, though I will not deny that it has hurt and confused many.

But so many of you are complaining that this choice gives Warren the spotlight. You say that it gives him a platform or at the least more attention that he deserves and more of a chance to spread his message of hate to the masses. But the only ones giving Warren all the attention and focus are the PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT HIM. All the DU and GBLT community attention on this issue just pushed Warren into the spotlight more then he needed to be. The more you voice your concerns about this issue, the more outraged you get, the more protesting against Obama that is done, the more Warren's negative message remains front and center pushing out the main thing we should be focusing on, Obama's larger plan of a more united and inclusive america.

This once again, is not me excusing Warren for his ignorance, or ignoring the hurt this choice has caused so many in the GBLT community. But once again, I ask us to look at the BIGGER PICTURE and see that the more we spend out time negatively focused on Warren, the more media attention his gets and the other side wins. If we all just voiced our opinions to Obama's site civilly about how we disagreed with his choice and then just let it go, we could accomplish so much more. The more we endlessly focus on this man, the more WE make him the star of this inauguration and I don't think that was Obamas point at all, nor do I think it's what any of us want.

I think if the point was to let Obama know that we don't care for his choice in Warren, then mission accomplished. Please can we all consider letting this issue die out and focusing back on the positive of this new administration?

before we said a word. He hosted a Presidential debate before we said a word. I think he has a forum. What he didn't have, before Obama gave it to him, was Presidential approval.

the people who felt the best way to create change was to "voice your opinion politely and then just let it go" would take their own advice.

Did we really need another STFU thread?

of that "faction" don't feel they've had the last word. And it makes me wonder... I'll wager the overriding majority of the STFU crowd identifies heterosexual. Why is it so damned important to them that we just sit down at the back of the bus and STFU?

you're free to our own opinion and feelings, I never once told you or anyone else how to feel, I only expressed my own fellings and advice on how those feelings could be dealt with differently. Take it or not, But you are no better then the people you bitch about when you accuse others of being anti gay based on an opinion you disagree with.

Warren would have only been a name on the inauguration schedule. But now he has been made to be national news which is entirely too much more than what he ever deserves. The much bigger news should have been the apparently very successful meeting the GLBT caucus had with the transition team from which the caucus came away with high praise and hope. Instead, people have focused on the 120 seconds Warren gets at the inauguration. It feels much better to focus on the bad than the good.

human rights and human opinions, and to act on the knowledge of that difference.

Think about it.

Do you know the difference?

Supporting a side doesn't mean who have to agree with how everything is handled by that community. Why does everything always have to be "my way or the highway" with so many.

you're telling people how they should feel. And the real problem is that Obama is bestowing the legitimacy of the presidency on a bigot. furthermore, I think all the uproar is not only justified, but possibly useful in advancing the cause of full civil rights for the GLBT community.

That's kind of a funny way to put it since anyone who expresses a more calm, and even view of the current issue is summarily condemned, and demonized as "anti-gay" if they express their opinion. On the other hand, those who's opinion does not fall in line exactly as some in the GLBT community dictate, are not, by any means, expressing any semblence of anti-gay feelings. They simply have an alternative view of how to handle the situation. Of course, given the rigid parameters expressed by said community, this post will probably be condesmned as "anti-gay", simply because it points out the hippocracy in the accusations toward a great number of DU members. It is amazing to me the number of people who are defining Obama's coming four years of his presidency based upon throwing a bone of two and a half minutes to a religious hand-job and by extension, throwing that bone to millions of hand-jobs like him, who, like it or not, do exist, and are relevent to the future of this country, before that presidency even begins. It defies logic, and common sense. Thanks.
quickesst

That ought to be obvious to anyone.

If white posters were telling black people how to feel about issues affecting blacks, no one would question the impropriety. But for some reason, there is a small group of posters here who seems to think of gys and their allies as an inferior group to whom they must lecture.

and only offered my opinion on a different way to deal with them other then anger and outrage. You can take the advice or not, it's no skin off my nose, but if you are going to sit there and accuse me of being anti-gay because i express an opinion that differs from yours than yes I will tell you to STFU.

In raising questions about him and keeping attention on him, we deny him the opportunity to control the conversation. And that's crucial in the struggle against extremists of his ilk.

Warren is being exposed for the hateful, lying fraud that he is. The more light we shine on this guy, the worse he looks.

annoying FAGGOTS just SHUT THE FUCK UP!" threads it makes me want to yell about Warren even louder! Do you people who openly express this sentiment with no qualms realize what you sound like? There is NO DIGNITY in shilling for a powerful politician who would sell you down the river if it were the political expedient thing to do over standing up for what is RIGHT.

feel. I am neither.

I can't argue anymore, I am exhausted from it.

I am pleading now. For the love of God, would you people please stop telling the GLBT community how it ought to feel, or think or act. Can't you respect us that much?

Please just stop.

to this particular author.

Leave your personal agenda's out of this Nancy.
Real Progressives don't tolerate "friends" who not only hate gays but believe interracial marriage should be illegal, like your little buddy Kimmie.

1) "He's just this guy, a humble preacher. Two minutes, it's over, like ripping off a band-aid. Sure he's a twit, but that shouldn't overshadow a nice day."

2) "Warren is hugely influential and can deliver votes on key issues that 'we can all agree on'. His presence will signal to the fundies that liberals are not just atheistic fun-suckers and we can get to work."


I see both explanations on this web site and it's beginning to grate on me. The two cannot be reconciled.

Gotcha!

;-)

:toast:

You're trying to buy your comfort by limiting free speech and truth.

The appointment of Warren to a position of honor is the "negative" -- not the criticism.

And, again, you are focusing on the GBLT community because they sounded the alarm --

but the enemies of organized patriarchal religion are many, including women and Jews...

African-Americans, natives, nature.

to fracture the evangelical vote so that the fascists can no longer count on the majority of that 10,000,000 block of votes. While we all may be sick about Pastor Rick's views on gay rights, I do not believe these are Obama's views and I believe Obama will be more supportive of Gay rights than any previous President.

But we need to keep our eyes on the bigger picture. In order to move this country forward (on Gay rights and many, many other issues) we need a strong governing majority. Not all Christians are empty-minded or evil people. Some can think rather progressively, and are moving that direction already. I certainly don't want to see Warren given any standing with our government, but I do believe Obama is thinking about what it will take to bring enough of the Christian public to the progressive side so that they no longer look and act like the Taliban.

The evangelical vote (or more precisely the white evangelical vote) went for McCain/Palin in approximately the same ration they went for Bush in 2004. Your point has been made several times and is simply lacking in any factual basis.

I know among my circle of friend, there are many Christians who voted for Obama. Now these are not the radical fringe that may be represented by Pastor Rick, but nonetheless, they normally would have voted for Republicans.

I guess I should have been more clear. I don't expect we will win over the hard core crazies. I wouldn't want them on our side anyway. What the strategy does is to marginalize those who are in the really crazy camp. Obama is giving Warren an invitation to join the flock of normal, thinking humans. In a sense, this puts Warren on notice. He has to make a choice whether he wants to pal around with the Christian Taliban fringe, or does he want to join a more progressive group.

I know this is very painful to many in the short term. I believe Obama has a strategy in mind. I believe he has thought this through and will ultimately lead us to the right place.

He is among the hard core right-wing fundie variety of Christians, and they will always be anti-GLBT rights. There is no way having him up there is going to make fundamentalists who are fans of his become more progressive. Have you read anything he's written? His fans are never going to be progressive.

Obama's strategy is forcing Warren to decide whether he wants to be an insider or an outsider. By definition, pastors of evangelical mega-churches are outsiders. But until now, there was no real price for them to pay for that. Now Warren has to decide whether he wants to position himself as the biggest "mainstream" mega-church guy or the guy who gave up that chance in order to hate on gays.

In the end, Warren doesn't matter much. This play is not about Warren. It is about the people who have been voting Republican even though the Republican Party acts about as un-Christian as is possible. As Obama wins over millions of those folks, the preachers will have to follow if they want to be relevant -- and of course their egos DEMAND that.

What a whiney lot we are. We should just shut up now. Submit quietly to this small outrage. After all, we should surely save our precious powder for the bigger more important outrages that are yet to come.

Excellent point.

:head explodes again:

.. it becomes visible, indentifiable,
ugly, and available for dismantling
and replacement with something good
and right.. tolerance, inclusion, and
equal rights for all.

That's a GOOD thing.

And my only opinion was that handling hate with negativity might not be the right way to see change.

AKA

2 wrong don't make a right.

"You were asking for it! Look at the way you were dressed!"

it's the defense attorney. And that's pretty much what we've been seeing here when it comes to Warren.

People like you who accuse people you don't know of being a racist, bigot or hater are what's wrong with the world. If more people who civilly disagree we wouldn't being having these problems today.

:sarcasm:

The whole lot of whiney annoying progressive left democrats who seem to think special interests such as universal human rights are important. What a sorry bunch of losers we are. However the OP probably only had teh gays in mind, as who else would bother or dare to stand up? So you are correct.

that's all being done by gays who impersonate him.

We've all heard of Warren Impersonators?

You can oversimplify things if you want, but in the end you'll see that Obama as well as many other people who differ from your opinion were looking out for your best interest and you were too close-minded to appreciate it.

BTW- just who is "You?"

"Mission accomplished?" :rofl: thank you Karen Hughes!

You is everyone who wont ever consider another perspective without labeling that person a bigot.

I suggest you do some reading on Disney's political activities.

Buchanan on. I hit the mute button. I will do the same to warren on Jan. 20th. There is not much else I can do after having voiced my opinion.

Seems "progressives" aren't that clever at thinking things through...

Let Obama take corrective action, or else get used to hearing us complain about it until January 20.

Thank you!

http://vastleft.blogspot.com/2006/05/watchdogs-are-our-best-friends.html

Remember the outrage about Andrew Dice Clay's misogynistic humor? Boy, that was great for his career, wasn't it?

at least on DU, NOT giving him the floor.

I won't be watching him, or listening to him.