The Amendment

Ah, well. I said I wasn't going to get into it.

George W. Bush. 43rd president of the United States. The Dollyrots said it best: "We were watching the 2000 presidential election results, and at four o'clock in the morning, when we found out that George W. Bush had won, [we] were like, 'The world's probably gonna end anyway,' so we thought, 'Let's just do the band.'"

Perceptive guys. No, the world didn't end. At least, the apocalypse didn't come. But when the president of your country, supposedly (or so it's propagandaed) the most powerful man in the world, gets up on his pulpit and instead of discussing - take your pick - the current war, any security threats, education, health care, immigration ... he takes a potshot at you. You, personally. And not just you, but the people like you. He uses you as a diversion, really, to avoid talking about any of those other things. But what a diversion! He takes your opined moral bankruptcy to the next level: He tries to outlaw you constitutionally.

I remember where I was, the first time I heard about The Amendment. The "Federal Marriage Amendment," as it's technically called. I was in high school, my junior year (the year of silence, if you've been following my story). It was in my history class, and it was a special day; we were taking a field trip to go downtown and compare architecture styles to classical buildings or some such. My class and another were squeezed into our room for fifteen minutes before we headed off. But instead of going over the rules or the procedures, my teacher just looks at us and says, "So. The Amendment."

I don't remember exactly what was said, except that I was beginning to vaguely realize that I'd have a lot vested in such things in the future. What I do remember was what one girl said. She was a cheerleader, as Aryan and WASPy and rich as you care to get, the kind of girl who, if you saw her in a sitcom or a teen drama, you'd say, "No way. No way people like that exist. She has to be a stereotype." Conservative, it goes without saying. And she said, in a very clear voice:

"It's not right. They [read: gays] are people, too. I mean, if your, uh, partner, or whatever, was in the hospital, and you couldn't see him because you weren't married? Because they wouldn't let you? That's not right."

Bitch knew what she was talking about.

Anyway. Despite my earlier claim, I'm sure I'll get into the health care debate at some point, but I just really liked that sticker. It is interesting, isn't it, how we United Statesians move from political fad to political fad. The same folks who clamored for the sanctity and protection of marriage are now rallying against health care reform, I'll be bound. Things will swing back around, I'm sure. Gay marriage will happen. Can't stop the signal, folks.