I wish I had remembered that the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was coming up today. I might have planned a better photograph, etc. The 1948 declaration by the United Nations covers a wide scope of basic, inherent rights that anyone, anywhere should be able to expect under the authority of any state.
Probably the biggest current issue around such rights, here in Willits, has to do with claiming equal marriage entitlements for homosexuals. Following the elation of electing Obama for president, most of us were heartbroken for friends and family who faced passage of a California referendum against gays and lesbians having state recognition of their partnerships. The photo above is the only one I could find in my archives that tied in to such human rights, a wonderful musician from San Francisco performing show tunes at Shanachie Pub in Willits not long after voting day. It was a mix of gays and straights that night, combining Obama-joy with Proposition 8-grief. Also present was one of the foremost activists for gay civil rights, from the days when known homosexuals were not even allowed to teach at universities. We need to crack down on war criminals, not people who love.
11 comments:
good post ,so true !
This is such an important issue! Great post for today!
Thank you so much for the nice comment on my blog.
I like the colors in the photo. I just don't understand why people are so against gay marriage. If churches don't want to host their weddings that's fine, but how is letting two people make a *legal* commitment to each other hurting society? In my opinion, giving the same rights and priveleges to everyone can only make us stronger!
i couldn't agree more with you Elaine. A lovely photo to illustrate your commentary. I think, in California, the vote was particularly surprising.
A Fun should be the. Greetings.
Bravo!! How can love, in these terrible days of global warming, terrorism and financial melt-down, be wrong????
I'm still not over Prop 8. One of the reasons I love California is because it is (supposedly) liberal and tolerant.
Sigh.
I love this shot. Very melancholy and beautiful
We're not over it, no. Everyone thought we wouldn't pass it and the world was shocked - shocked! - when we did. That got folks mad and it got them moving. That's something to be thankful for. Before this is over, a certain church might count itself responsible for launching a nationwide movement that wasn't there before. This isn't over yet.
Thank you all. As Petrea says, this is not the final word on the issue, and more ballots and elections will play that out. What seems so obvious to you and me, is apparently frightening to some. One couple I know has been married three times, so I suspect there will be a fourth wedding for them together before the dust settles. Onward and upward!
Well AMEN on that one sister. Well said!!! What an outrage.
V
Well said, Elaine.
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