The very riskiness of what Mr. Obama did — some commentators were invoking Lyndon B. Johnson’s embrace of civil rights in 1964, with all the attendant political perils — made it hard to understate the historic significance of what took place at the White House on Wednesday.
“If you are one of those who care about this issue, you will not forget where you were when you saw the president deliver those remarks,” said Chad Griffin, the incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy group. “Regardless of how old you are, it’s the first time you have ever seen a president of the United States look into a camera and say that a gay person should be treated equally under the law. The message that that sends, to a young gay or transgendered person struggling to come out, is life changing.”
—The New York Times‘ Adam Nagourney on President Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage yesterday. Read the full article. (It’s real good.)
But will he actually DO something about the issue rather than just SAYING something??? He’s made many campaign (and other) promises to the gays who turn out in droves to support him, but has only stood behind a few – and those took him years to accomplish. I’m not holding my breath on this one. My momma always said actions speak louder than words….
More and more, this election is reminding me of 1948. Long before Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman endorsed a broad based civil rights act, and he desegregated the military – which enraged white Southerners.
totally admit i cried me some very HAPPY tears!!! Obama gets it, and I don’t really think he did for “help” too his campain, anyone with a thimble full of brians knows Romney would put us all on a island somewhere if he could.