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NY Times: Frank Rich: ‘The blue ascendancy is nearly as strong among Republicans as it is among Democrats.’

Sojo.net: Jim Wallis: ‘The uncritical alliance between the Religious Right and the Republican Party should be named a theocratic mistake and idolatrous allegiance.’

I’m not sure why this silly-ass Federal Marriage Amendment being debated in the Senate today bugs me so; I think its presence on the national screen just shouts to me how far our national discourse has degenerated.

The whole damn thing is — or ought to be — unthinkable in the United States: Amend the U.S. Constitution, the foundation of our republic, to deny marriage equality to same-sex couples? IOW, amend the very document that guarantees rights for all citizens to take away some citizens’ rights?

All animals are created equal.
But some animals are more equal than others.
—George Orwell, Animal Farm

I don’t give a flying Cheney what my government representatives think about homosexuality and same-sex marriage — they can think anything they want but they can’t be allowed to start legislating state-sanctioned discrimination. If they’re willing to start discriminating against some of us now, at some point we’ll be the ones being discriminated against, for nearly any eventual definition of we.

Dear God, how much foresight does it take to see this? This amendment (obviously) brought to us by the same foresighted geniuses who dreamed up the Bush Doctrine of Preemption, which would be better called “Massive Motivator for Other Nations to Arm to the Hilt.”

I’ve just about given up on my Republican representative and senators — one of whom is the (in)famous Sen. Frist — to act sanely and foresightedly, but I wrote them today anyway using the MoveOn petition form that also sends an email to “the President, signer’s Senators, Representative in Congress, and other political leaders.” I wrote —

Despite all rhetoric to the contrary, this proposed Constitutional amendment is the moral equivalent of Jim Crow.

I am a heterosexual Christian committed to social justice and civil rights for all of us.

Whether I agree, or you agree, with any particular group is not relevant: your job is to uphold the U.S. Constitution for all U.S. citizens.

I believe any government official who seeks to alter the Constitution to legislate discrimination is derelict in his or her duty — and must be fired.

Please reconsider your position and reject this proposed amendment.

[several expletives deleted]

What’s the upside to enduring this unadulterated, literally un-American crap? Hmmm … Well, after all this, the return of rational, thoughtful national discourse about things that matter — a return that’s at least possible if not certain under a Kerry/Edwards Administration — ah, it will be sweeter than honey, will it not?

I just used Congress.org to send this message to my U.S. senators and representative:

On the upside, I see (via TPM) that one of these elected officials, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, is now on record saying --

"Federal law makes clear our state's right" to enforce its law defining marriage as between a man and a woman, Alexander said. "I am not persuaded that amending the Constitution is necessary."

I think any governmental declaration of who can and can't be in legal union is unwise, but am willing to concede that decision to individual states. I say bravo to Sen. Alexander for this early-on show of backbone against some of his peers -- for not signing on to the amendment nonsense -- even if he and I may not agree in total.

Today's discussion at Daily Kos entry Except for homos mentions a prevailing "Ick" factor overriding many people's rational thought or discussion about homosexuality. I respond to homosexual behavior with a high ick factor myself, which I attribute primarily to being heterosexual. But my commitment to people, principles, and integrity outweighs the ick: all persons deserve equal protection under the law if our present Constitution means anything. Else it's Jim Crow all over again.

This is not fundamentally about homosexuality, however. It's about a lack of commitment to human rights and a willingness to shred the Constitution for political gain.

Thus I find this politically -- and morally -- reprehensible.

I predict that even Bush supporters will come to agree the shark has now definitively been jumped.

a few minutes later ...

Allen at The Right Christians quotes Dr. Jack Good, whose sermon reminds me to listen with compassion, not exasperation:

I know that when I hear arguments that are devoid of rationality [like the ones against gay marriage] I am hearing not logic but fear. Fear is OK. It is normal for people to be upset when some important area of life is undergoing change. If you are one of those people who is still struggling with this issue, or if you have friends or relatives who are still struggling, try to listen not to the head stuff. Listen, instead, to the emotional stuff. Fears should be heard and respected. Then ask how you or your loved ones can move beyond those fears.

I will, with God's help.