Thursday, June 4, 2009

Misconception of Time

I am curious to learn if any of you connected King's repudiation of the recommendation to "wait for justice" (as if justice is an inevitable effect of time's passing) and the decision of lawyers Olson and Boies to file a federal lawsuit seeking to invalidate Prop. 8. Many folks, including those who arguably hold leadership positions in the gay equality movement, deride this lawsuit as rushed and probably harmful to the acquiring of equal access to marriage for all, arguing instead for a state by state focused movement. 
For my part, while I am terrified by the possibility of the Supreme Court closing down the discussion around equal access to marriage on even the state wide level, I am also interested to see how a federal lawsuit would actually play out. But, since this isn't a game and the stakes are too high to "play" I am pulled back toward the voices that say "wait" out of fear for losing the little we have. But then, considering King's words that "the time is always ripe to do right", I reconsider.

I guess it is also a matter of what the "right" in doing "right" is. Are there any instances where waiting is "right"?

1 comment:

  1. I was also thinking about exactly that when I read that particular passage. It actually brought me to something Dr. King said. Unfortunately, I cannot paraphrase it, but the gist was that real freedom and equality shouldn't have to come teaspoons at a time and should be given all at once.

    As to the Supreme Court closing down discussion, I believe that it is highly improbable on a federal level, due to the progressive/liberal majority of the justices. I use the term liberal rather loosely because, of course, there are liberals who are friendly towards Proposition 8.

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