Really, Mr. Goldberg?

Nice try....no, really.

In case you haven't seen it, this morning's LA Times (December 2, 2008) printed a column by the venerable Jonah Goldberg in which he likens an anti-prop 8 ad that featured Mormon missionaries to antisemitism and anti-Muslim propaganda. In the column, he lambastes "gay-rights groups" for running a "scorched-earth campaign." (link: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-goldberg2-2008dec02,0,6411205.column).

Of course the problem with Mr. Goldberg's argument is that, somehow, we're supposed to muster sympathy for the Mormons and agree with him that the gay community is liberal, white, and wealthy (ie, not really the underdog). The elusive truth (at least to conservatives, it seems) is that the gay population of the United States is not representative of "Hollywood liberals" (that's right, whenever you want to win popular opinion to your side, start talkin' 'bout them thar Hollywood types!), can hardly be described as wealthy (another stereotype...studies have shown that the gay community is not wealthier than average, nor does it have power elites in its pocket, as has been suggested). True, the emerging voice of the pro-gay agenda (which, arguably, is pro-everyone, because it represents equality for ALL citizens, no matter what their religious conviction or affiliation), has been represented by white people with money. But is that any different than in any OTHER part of the socio-political sphere?

It seems that Mr. Goldberg has managed to turn this whole thing around and point fingers at those whose rights were being attacked in the first place. It wasn't the anti-prop 8 people who put this question before the voters. It was, in actuality, people (including Mormons) who hoped that, by simple majority, the rights of the minority could be removed. Tsk, tsk....

History has proven, over and over, that the majority will not necessarily do the "right" thing, that progress toward "liberty and justice for all" does not necessarily happen in the voting booth. When the gauntlet is thrown down, what else can those who are threatened with second-class citizenship really do but fight back?

It's true, the ad that parodied Mormon missionaries wasn't really fair. But would anyone really say that all those ads from the pro-prop 8 campaign (funded, in good measure, by Mormons whose church TOLD them how to vote!) were FAIR?

I'd agree, Mr. Goldberg, that "gay marriage is likely inevitable." I also know that it won't happen if those whose rights are being trampled upon don't rise up and fight. It's easy for those who enjoy the full rights and freedoms of their citizenship to somehow make this about themselves. But no matter how much those on the conservative side of things might wish to be defined as the victims, it just ain't so.