My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.
2004-02-24
Just Thinking
I am struck tonight by the juxtaposition of the main currents of conversation in pop culture: gay marriage and "The Passion of the Christ." My thoughts on this are a bit embryonic, so bear with me as I try to draw out some meaning from stray ideas.
First, I have blogged before about my views on gay marriage: I don't think the state has any role in marriage--gay or straight--except to recognize the domestic merger aspect of it. However, I do give the President credit for coming out and taking a stand--unlike his opponents--and for framing it in terms of an out-of-control judiciary. Hugh pointed out the added benefit that this guarantees that this issue will be a subject for debate this election. I am also noticing that this is--for the first time in a while--a cultural/civil rights issue in which the Republican position is consistent with that of the vast majority of the American populace.
Second, I have not seen "The Passion;" however, I have every intention of seeing it at my earliest convenience, and I am quite looking forward to it. I have heard that it can have a powerful, revelatory effect on those who are receptive to it, and I think that I am, for perhaps the first time in my life, open to it.
That said, the way these two events overlay each other today is in the opposition to them. One critic of the film compared it to Nazi propoganda; the obvious term of the opposition is Anti-Semitic, which is just another word for bigoted. And, of course, isn't that the single most common accusation thrown out at opponents of the gay agenda?
In both cases, a small minority looks the majority in the face and hurls epithets at them, clearly intended to cow the majority into caving to the agenda of a fringe. To establish the math of my case,I think it's safe to say that there are more Americans who believe in the Biblical version of the Passion than who don't, and the polls are running almost 2-1 against gay marriage. So what has emboldened or enflamed the minority to the degree that it is incapable of a civil discourse on the subject?
I would submit, to a large degree, the answer lies in the behavior of the majority, with a big assist from the courts. Were the majority to stop acting embarrassed by its status as the majority, and willing to take the rhetorical and legal steps to protect its position, it could easily overwhelm the minority position and relegate it to its due status. As to the "point guard" in this equation, the courts are what drove me to begin working for Republicans four years ago, and it's even more important now to give the President a Senate majority that will confirm judges who will uphold--not create--the law.
Safe to say that the culture is now front and center in the national debate. Good. You'll find me on the front lines.
This still feels like un-formed thought to me. I welcome others with more learned thought to pencil in thoughts in red ink to help me bring this together. | |
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