The soul of Senator Barack Obama, part 2

From an open letter written by Sen. Obama to the "LGBT community":

As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full
equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage.

And what about states that might wish to pursue true equality for the unborn and outlaw abortion?

Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
– a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

<snip>

Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.

"...who still need to be convinced..." Hmmm. Ponder that for a moment or two.

• The soul of Senator Barack Obama (Feb. 28, 2008)

Comments

[ben]

The more I know about this guy the more I am freaked right the heck out. There's an Obama campaign HQ on my way to church, it depresses me quite a bit to see them so pumped up by a man who can't discern infanticide when he sees it. Do they not know? Do they not care?

It gives me a lot to pray about.

[Robin L. in TX]

"I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans."

Really--how about the unborn ones?

[Mary]

"...who still need to be convinced..." Hmmm. Ponder that for a moment or two.

You've all read Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, haven't you?

It is very likely it will often be alluded to, in the months ahead.

[BillyHW]

Nice to seem him reaching out across the aisle to end the divisiveness...

[Ed Peters]

I am worried, really, that Obama is going to implode before he gets the nomination, and that Hilary CLINTON, who is almost as evil as Obama, but much smarter, and much more ruthless, and considerably more electable, is going to run against McCain (who of course would never stand a chane against a moderate Democrat this year, but who has a shot against either of the these two, but much more so against Obama).

That said, I hate playing political chicken, and Obama would be the most radical main party nominee ever. Period. Making George McGovern look like a Puritan grandmother.

[Karen]

He keeps talking about how he is listening to "all Americans." And yet somehow, I don't think he's listening to me. Or willing to in the future.

[Francis Beckwith]

But in order to achieve such "equality," religious believers who have serious and thoughtful moral objections to homosexuality must be marginalized and punished. This is why Catholic Charities ended adoptions in Massachusetts, for once the state put its imprimatur on same-sex marriage, all institutions that touch on family law, even religious ones, must comply. We are long past the polite request for tolerance of alternative lifestyles, as we were told in the 1970s. We are at the point where only one understanding of human sexuality will be tolerated and upheld. You, of course, may practice any view in the privacy of your own home. But you cannot act as if your understanding is true or normative for others, unless it is the view that private acts get their moral force from the mere consent of the participants. To reject that understanding is to tempt the postmodern inquisition. This is why Rick Warren's standing with Obama was shameful, for, as the linked letter indicates, it provided Obama "evangelical" cover in order to advance public policy that is intended to marginalize, sequester, and punish many of his brothers and sisters in Christ.

[Dale Price]

Barack Obama: Bringing America Together by Uniting Hard Leftists, Nanny Statists and other Haters of Traditional Values.