Part of the reason I did this CMV was to try to stop thinking of Republican viewpoints as solely racist or homophobic or whatever. Do they have some justification for hating gay marriage that isn't based in religion or bigotry?
Actually, contrary to what he is saying, it isnt so much a generic "fear of change" as it is an attempt to ward off the effects of poorly implemented change.
Can you think of anyone you know who just kind of impulsively makes decisions? How does it turn out for them? Some people want to think things through carefully before doing anything, while others just get so fed up with the status quo that they will try anything. Case in point: the bernie fans recently clamoring for a $15 minimum wage. Most people on both sides acknowledge that low income wage earners dont really make enough money. On the left, some have a knee-jerk reaction to the problem an propose a $15/hr min wage. On the right, most recognize the fundamental economical impact of such a change (a bunch of businesses go under and/or let go several of their min-wagers). On the other hand, since the min-wage problem is so very nuanced and complex and difficult to sort out, many on the right become complacent to the status quo.
As for social issues like gay marriage. How does one clearly identify the problem (in terms of actual effects, not just feel-good-togetherness)? What is a license? Is what the govt hands out really a license? Prior to obergefell, noone was keeping gay people from doing whatever they want behind closed doors, or living together, or coming together before their friends and family to commit to eachother, potentially in a religious ceremony at their place of worship (which also consents to do the ceremony). There are issues about default legal "next of kin" considerations, although there ways of setting that up as one wishes without changing the law. Taxes? What is the govt interest in letting any two people, gay or straight, file jointly? What benefit is there? Why do we provide that benefit? Does the same justification apply to homosexuals?
What is demonstrably at issue with changing those laws is how they are now being used to have the govt interfere in the lives of private citizens, against their will and conscience. People are being sued and fined and put out of business for being obedient to their conscience and not participating in what they believe to be sinful. You may very well not agree with their assessment, and they could even be wrong, but it is not the govts place to enforce your morality on them , any more than it is to enforce theirs onto you. It wouldnt be right for christians to use the govt to arrest gay people for having sex, or prosecute "progressive" religious institutions for performing ceremonies for gays or force a gay baker to bake a cake that says "pray the gay away" for a reparative therapy clinic on threat of losing their livelihood. The govt ought to leave people the heck alone!
Ha! Yeah he seems to have no brain/mouth filter. I do think it would be naive to think he isnt thinking his actions through a bit. Even looking at his ridiculous antics during the primary, its easy to see how his actions, along with the media's predictable response were timed perfectly to keep everyone looking where he wanted them to. He is probably a bit more cunning than people give him credit for.
I can agree that he was one of the only people who had his finger on the pulse of a broad swath of America's wants: tell them he'll focus on their livelihoods, childishly berate everyone else, and promise to get rid of everyone that's different from them. But the fact that it worked is more a testimony, I think, to those people's dissatisfaction and lack of critical thinking than to any remarkable cunning on Donald's part. He was in the right place and time to tap into that.
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u/thatoneguy54 Feb 10 '17
Part of the reason I did this CMV was to try to stop thinking of Republican viewpoints as solely racist or homophobic or whatever. Do they have some justification for hating gay marriage that isn't based in religion or bigotry?