From: onr@netcom.com (D. Owen Rowley)
Subject: Re: No Liberty Without Ethics
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 20:39:23 GMT

In article <C1II24.5p2@world.std.com> smoir@world.std.com (Scott A Moir) writes:
>The basis for having equality for all of us exists in the rules that our
>country uses now. We need to point out the fact that they are there, they
>are being ignored, and that this must change. I agree that we need to
>stick to a set of ethics, but that could mean as simple a concept as
>self-consistency.

The republican senator ( can't recall the anme right this minute) who
came out on Clintons side yesterday said as much.

Simply put, equal rights should be applied equally.

One reason I tend to harp on education as a methodology, is because it seems
to me that it is ignorance and a lack of understanding about what our 
nations principles are that lead to bigotry and discrimination.

>In article <1993Jan26.230113.811@netcom.com> onr@netcom.com (D. Owen Rowley) writes:
>>At this point I think that institutionalised homophobia, and rampant
>>ignorance of who and what we really are, make rapid acceptance 
>>improbable.

>In real terms, the government has much to do with what happens to us (or
>any minority) by use of its rules and policies. I listen to the noise that
>is starting because of President Clinton's determination to remove the ban
>of gays in the military and I hear the same arguments that were used
>against blacks in the military. In fact, there are people in Congress
>STILL who fought against blacks in the military. 

Unfortunately , our the re-election process for congress-critters and
senators hinges very much on popular opinion and who organises grass roots
constituencys better.

The *noise* in this current flap, has me worked into a dither.
I haven't been this agitated in a long time.

One part of me thinks , good, let the homophobic drivel flow, it will
only expose it for the utter nonsense it is.
And then I think about how abysmally ignorant the masses can be in
emotionally charged issues.

Ultimately I think it is good, and
that we must be a visible part of society no matter how painfull the
cusp periods are going to be. But I tend to be empathic in a visceral way,
the pain which is mental for so many, manifests physically for me.
Fortunately I am strong.

>I think that if we were to choose an objective as a first step in making
>progressive changes, we should shoot for term limitations. The reason that
>the rules aren't changing is because the people making the rules aren't
>changing.

Hmm, I'm not so sure about that as you seem to be.
I think most people fear change, and only undertake change when they have no
other choice. I think the legislative pace is set by this factor, and the 
reactive nature of our governmental paradigm.

I have a gut feeling that this issue is one of strongly held principle for
Bill Clinton, and that we have more of a friend in him than was at first
apparent.
One of the other things he promised was to end anti-gay discrimination in
the federal government, look for him to hold the line on the 
military issue,a nd go do some groundwork within the rest of the federal
system before re-visiting the military angle.
I suspect that a few of the Joint Chiefs are gonna be replaced as well.

>>Coming out on an individual basis is often astaged process, and 
>>i suspect that our collective coming out must be too.
>>A good first step is to demonstrate value, and to re-iterate that
>>ultimately no matter what they think of our ways, our lives are just
>>as precious to us as theirs are to them.
>
>Most people are nothing more than sheep and will follow what their priests
>and leaders tell them. Get that message to change, and opinion will begin
>to shift.

yes, the bully pulpit of the presidency.

Even though we have storm clouds now, I truly believe that the light is
waxing in favor of our cause.

I really think that the time is right to start thinking along some new
lines as well.

One of the things I've been mulling about is the news media and their
treatment of our story.

For the most part the American people never see news coverage of Queers
other than the steretypical and sensationalist aspects. We need to get
the news media to give us balanced coverage. we need to get the talk show
hosts to understand how using queers as a drawing card is one thing, but
fostering hatred is another. 

My mantras for the ninetys:

Hang on its gonna be a bumpy decade.

Have courage and keep moving.

LUX ./. owen

-- 
D. Owen Rowley onr@netcom.com ( also owen@autodesk.com )
[ EU-PHORIA: A STATE OF WELL BEING ]
Euphoria is my natural state, I do what I enjoy and an abundance 
of all good fortune comes to me for it.