Keith Olbermann's powerful Special Comment on the passing of Proposition 8

Keith can be an honoray gay man, if he'd like.

He's a great spokesman for the crusty Old Left, he's a loud-mouth, he's not above laughing at himself.  He knocked that one out of the park.

as a proud Canadian, but don't have the articulation to say so well as Keith. 

 

 

 

I say we take the warning labels off everything and let nature take it's course.

Bravo.

well said, well said Keith.

WOW

Speachless and with tears in my eyes.

Thank you Keith and thank you Brian for letting us know about this wonderful message.

 

And beautifully expressed.

Sadly, the people who oppose same-sex marriage aren't interested in "love".  Indeed, their arguments actually suggest that marriage is a burden.  It exists for procreation they say, to create children.  That fact that God did not make reproduction conditional on the participants being married is meaningless to them.  When two unmarried people produce a child it is punishment for their sin, a living burden of debt they must carry to atone for what they've done. When two married people produce a child it is a "blessing", and the thing that justifies their marriage and the enjoyment of carnal "sin" that can only be forgiven through acceptance of the living burden of pregnancy and childbirth.

That those men and women who cannot or choose not to have children can marry is simply incidental.  One never knows when God might choose to give them a child.  He gave one to Abraham's wife Sarah very late in her life.

But the gays, the gays are guilty of the carnal "sin" without the justification of procreation.  We defy supposedly God-ordained gender roles and procreative duties and instead speak of something as frivolous as "love".  

Hopefully Olbermann's speech will shame some of them.  But I doubt it will sway most.  They do not worship "love".  They worship "law", as defined in their religion of personal choice.  Angry and bitter that in this country and this age that they cannot compel those that will not follow their doctrine to obey it anyway, they at least seek to deny them happiness because punishment must come somehow.

A Mormon co-worker of mine likes to recount how the early Mormons were chased out beyond what were then the borders of the United States by a majority that believed their religion and behavior immoral and heretical.  He likes to talk about how it was legal to murder Mormons in the state of Missouri.

Did this make the descendents of those people more tolerant?  More willing to "do unto others..."?  Of course not.  Flush with the self-righteous sense of their forebears' martyrdom, they now sit in judgement of those they consider immoral.  

It is often mentioned how in the days of pagan Rome Christians were persecuted, tortured and killed.  What is less commonly discussed is that after Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire in the late 4th century, far from feeling Christian love and goodwill towards their pagan neighbors.  Far from forgiving those who had tresspassed against them as the Lord's Prayer says to do, the newly-empowered Christians turned on the pagans.  They burned their temples, persecuted them, tortured them and murdered them.  Convert or die became the new creed to replace the one taught by Christ.

So I doubt that many of these people feel shame or guilt today.  Indeed, many regret that they cannot go further and make homosexuality a crime again as it was in the past.  Many dream that a time will come when they can again do so.  Because with each blow they strike against "sinners" they feel vindicated in their beliefs.  It makes them feel empowered and blessed.

But in truth, as Olbermann notes, it merely makes them a part of the sickness that plagues this world and turns humanity against itself.

despite being exhausted and starving, he was so kind and generous with his time. I actually took off my journalist hat for a moment to tell him how highly I thought of him and how much I appreciated his pro-gay views all these years.

Holy crap this guy is friggin amazingly eloquent... and every sentence, every word was bang on. I haven't heard anything so compelling in a very long time...

I've been in love with Keith for a long time. (No, not THAT way!) His comments tonight reminded me why.

The clarity and obviousness of his message also remind me that marriage and full rights are inevitable, no matter how far away it all seems sometimes. It's inevitable because if you remove irrational fear and lack of understanding, you're left with something against which you really can't argue. It's like abolition of slavery, women's right to vote, the integration of schools and all other aspects of life, etc. Today those things seem obvious, and in the future, gay marriage will seem obvious. It's just a question of when. Keith Olbermann has helped that process along, and undoubtedly will do so in the future.

Thanks, Keith.

It was sappy, but I wish more people would show emotions like this about this issue. Rather than intellectualizing it, show why this matters. Yes, it's about equality. But it is also about more than that. This is why I had the biggest problem with the No on 8 campaign. Ironically, I emailed the writers of the blog, Towleroad, asking them why isn't the No on 8 campaign focused on doing something like a Harry and Louise ad for gays who want to get married. Just a simple ad each with different couples of different backgrounds (black, latino, low income, middle income, whatever) sitting around the table. In each ad each couple talking about how this will affect their lives. How it will hurt them. Why this matters. Like a Harry met Sally vignette. No gimmicks. No abstract ideas about equality. Just simply telling our story and our faith in as clear a terms as possible. To me the greatest weapon against the right is to be human more than they can be inhuman.

Keith's a great guy.

This what a true ally is, a guy who takes a stand for you.

If even one person was moved by this and started the thinking and feeling process, he did us a great service.

Thank you Keith, you are a great guy. 

I cried watching that clip. It was so emotional and I hope all those "yes on prop 8" people watch this.

Keith is a pillar to the gay community and his message should be played on billboards all over the country. Only if there was a way to send this video to all the Mormons and the Mormon church and have them watch it. If it does not bring a tear to their eye then they are truly lost.

Keith Olbermann forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Live Long and Prosper

The christian opposition say that they aren't haters. When I read the individual comments on blogs and hear them speak on t.v. I know different and it makes me fear that people have lost the capacity to love anything but themselves.

I thank Keith for reminding anyone who will listen that the highest purpose is love. I thank him for reminding me.

 

I have to say it here too.

I watched this and cried like a baby. Then got a slew of texts from friends asking if I had seen it and that they had also cried watching it. I always love Keith's special comments, but this one really stands out. You could tell he was really emotional too. So beautiful. 

a Special Comment that expressed the anger and frustration the passage of anti-gay initiatives in CA, AZ, FL and AK. KO's quiet, heartfelt appeal was so much more powerful than a Special Comment full of righteous anger. Just powerful.

Just Wow!

He should have spoken those words before the elections. But I agree with Psionycx, those who voted for this aren't interested in "love" and have not learned from their own pasts. Sad, but true.

afhickman

"The mountain has wings."

"According to a posting on IMDB, Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to ask the California Supreme Court to overturn Prop 8.  It reads:

Movie star-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is urging the state Supreme Court to overturn the controversial bill that banned gay marriage last week.

The Proposition 8 bill was voted in earlier this month, overturning an earlier ruling legalising same-sex unions in the state.

In an interview on network CNN on Sunday he said, "It's unfortunate, obviously, but it's not the end. I think that we will again maybe undo that, if the court is willing to do that, and then move forward from there and again lead in that area."

Speaking to gay marriage supporters he added, "I learned that you should never ever give up... They should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done."

Gay unions were legalised in the state in May, which led to a flurry of celebrity weddings including TV host Ellen DeGeneres' marriage to longtime partner Portia de  Rossi in August."

 

 

I was blown away by the directness and simple sense of purpose in KO's special comment Monday night. I enjoy his righteous anger and verbal wordsmithing, but last night's comment was so powerfully low-key for him -- yet still so insistent and focused. 

Like many have said, I got teary too -- and sat my boyfriend down to watch the 10 PM replay so he wouldn't miss it.

And while I agree with Psionycx that most religious bigots -- the most vocal of the Yes on Prop 8 crew -- are about law not love, I think Oberman's pitch last night could sway some folks. People voted Yes on 8 for myriad reasons. Many were simply told to vote Yes on 8 and they just did it. They aren't bigots; they just didn't have a compelling reason to vote No on 8. I'm thinking of folks who don't have a family member or close friend or child who is gay -- and in love. Folks who haven't ever thought of things in the simple, beautiful way that Oberman presented the situation last night.

I think of my mother and step-father, for example. A good, church-going midwestern couple. I've had a few conversations with them about marriage equality and other gay-rights issues over the years. And all these conversations get bogged down in legaleese and historical knitpicking. All three of us talking about legal principles and constitutions and political tactics -- important topics, yes. But also all topics removed from the core idea of love.

I wonder how a discussion out gay rights -- with love as the focus -- would play with my folks. I want to try it sometime soon and see what happens. I think it might give them pause and provide fresh take on things. I don't think it would change their minds instantly, but I think that over time it would be effective, positive and opinion-changing idea to add to the debate.

 

 

I appreciate all the great comments by our "gay allies" lately on the drubbing we got in the recent election on our issues. However, what I would really want to see and what we should be seeing is outrage from ourselves. We should be seeing gay couples and gay couples with children on TV now at this time talking about why this matters to us, and not seeing gay allies speaking for us. We need to take Harvey Milk's advice and come out from our homes and tell our neighbors why we are sad or mad. We need to show America that we matter and that we exist... and its important because we live next to them, work beside them, and raise children along with them. We can no longer allow surrogates to speak for us. We need to show ourselves and provide the human face so often hidden from view. I know we are afraid to break that wall of privacy, but if we don't we will not win for us, our children, and our future community. So even though I welcome Keith Olbermann's words, we need to speak them.

that Olbermann's comments, however heartfelt, would mean anything at all only if he bothered to cast a vote in any election himself. People who want others to do all the important work in a democracy for them? Their words mean very little to me.  Being a voter is a responsibility I take too seriously.

Everything he said is true.

 

Why why why did California pass this horrible law? I just can't understand it. It makes me cry. I am straight and I wanted to wait until my gay friends could legally marry to get married myself, but my husband's grandmother wanted us to do it so she could be there before she died. I was disapointed but she is a wonderful woman and I thought at least California is okay with it... I am sure the rest of the country will not be long...

I am so sorry that this is happening to you. All of my gay friends seem like able to deal with it much better than I am but they are all so strong and I am so proud of all of them. 

I still can't imagine what life is like in a world in which everything is against you. I support all of you. I will fight for the rest of my life to make marriage for everyone. EVERYONE.

Much love to you all. And long live Keith Olberman. 

 

 

Religion should not be apart of this issue - and it is. I have never been religious - never needed to believe in anyone but myself. The truth is more important than a story(s) that do not hold up over time. Religion continues to haunt us - with hate, fear and judgment. If humans are not ready to understand what the story is for, than they should not follow it.I am satisfied in my own mind to know that I have always been right about religion. It bothers me that gay men and women desire to be apart of any sector of these groups that will tolerate only until, what they believe will be our chance to beg for forgiveness of our so called 'sin' after this life.It is ridiculous that we are even attempting to call our lives close to these beliefs. I thank Keith for speaking truth - what is real 'now' - not everyone will get it. History is proof of that.