“The plaintiffs in Brown asserted that this system of racial separation, while masquerading as providing separate but equal treatment of both white and black Americans, instead perpetuated inferior accommodations, services, and treatment for black Americans.” Wikipedia, “Brown v Topeka Board of Education
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| Courtesy Wikipedia: Street Kids confront police at Stonewall. |
My 3/5’s
of a Marriage
The trend to see civil
rights, or even basic definitions of humanity, let alone citizenship, as
negotiated settlements within our Constitution has impacted communities far
beyond the African-American experience.
While the African-American
community has by far born the greater share of the burden of such hypocrisy and
exploitation, the victims of such attitudes have also included women,
Asian-Americans and immigrants, and less formally but just as seriously, Native
Americans, Latin Americans, informal enemy combatants, and the LGBTQ community.
Misperceptions that the
basic civil right of marriage equality can be a negotiated right or that an entire population group should be
satisfied with something that looks like equality but really is not in fact
equal, but a negotiated settlement, are only the latest manifestations of the
3/5’s rule.
America – “land of the
free?” Not always. Champions of equality? Often depends on whom.
Regrettably, throughout our
history, our rhetoric has shamefully failed to live up to our reality – and
that this inequality is purposeful and a choice should just piss people off!
Too many have bought into the
system and drank the Kool-Aid™ of negotiated civil liberties. This is a dangerous ideal and while it might
be American, it is not worthy of Universalist perceptions of liberty.
We are not alone. Liberal Britain has recently experienced
painful debates over civil rights and gay marriage. Even France, who if anyone, has surpassed the
United States in both the rhetoric and commitment to liberty, equality and the
commonweal, has faced political division over the recognition of the equality
of rights for the LGBTQ community. What’s
going on?
Failing to recognize
inequality is one thing – failure to act once that inequality has been identified
and named is hypocrisy.
