I’m sometimes struck by the difficulty of the mundane for lesbian and gay couples. reading this press release from Patty Murray was one of those times.
(Washington D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, led a letter to U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki calling for an expedited waiver process granting same-sex veterans and their spouses burial rights in national cemeteries. Currently, only members of the opposite-sex are buried next to their veteran spouse in national cemeteries.
Christ. It’s 2013 and we’re having this conversation. It’s 2013 and this isn’t an obviously done deal. It’s 2013 and instead of this just being a matter of some paperwork because vets’ spouses should be buried with them as a matter of course if that’s what they want, this is a fight. It’s 2013 and only 15 senators agreed to sign the letter.
When you think of the progress we’ve made in the last few decades as a society in treating same sex couples with basic respect, and then think this is still a fight, it’s jarring. When you think the solution — at least for now — is a waver and not fixing the policy, it’s dispiriting how much work is involved in just getting half measures.
“When you think of the progress we’ve made in the last few decades as a society in treating same sex couples with basic respect, and then think this is still a fight, it’s jarring.”
Nothing to do with the right or wrong about it, but I don’t see how it should be jarring at all. Look at the progress for blacks over the last 150 years and yet many still have to fight for their right to simply vote. Will any black alive today live to see the end of discrimination? Sadly, I don’t think it’s even remotely possible. I suggest that you ready yourself for a fight that will last for the rest of your life and be glad that change is coming even though you may not live long enough to see the promised land yourself.
@1 Einstein once said the way to get a new scientific theory accepted is wait for the proponents of the old one to die off. That applies to a lot of other things as well.
@ 1
Look at the progress for blacks over the last 150 years and yet many still have to fight for their right to simply vote.
Or those upper-classmen college kids who have to fight for their right to drink in bars.
Struggles of these two oppressed classes of our population would be alleviated if only they would show proper ID.
“Struggles of these two oppressed classes of our population would be alleviated if only they would show proper ID.”
That statement is fucked up in so many ways.
@ 4
I thought my comparison was as relevant as yours, Steve.
After all, a voter who can get to the DMV, or sometimes who can show a utility bill with their name on it, will be permitted to vote.
Are the obstacles in Carl’s thread topic as easily overcome, Steve? ’cause I think that if a partner could get his/her wish by simply providing proof of identity, Carl wouldn’t need to post this thread.
You’re such a “good racist”. That’s one reason why I’m starting to believe that you really don’t get just how fucked up a racist you really are, Bob.
“I thought my comparison was as relevant as yours, Steve.”
Oh, really, Bob? Relevant to what, the topic? No. Your post was off-topic without even a mention of gay progress, the mundane, nothing. So you must be thinking in terms of relevancy to your agenda to insert snide, racist remarks into these threads.