Friday, November 07, 2008

Does it help?

There is a lot of (understandable) anger out there at the passing of proposition 8 in California. No one likes to be told they are a 2nd class citizen. Especially at the ballot box. And especially in an election which saw the shattering of another barrier.

But I have to question the wisdom of focusing most of the anger on just one community (blacks) that seems to have voted for the proposition in disproportionate numbers. Even if the exit polling on this is accurate (and we all know how exit polling can be misrepresented), at worst the support for this proposition in the black community was probably just enough to make the victory margin.

But here's the thing that makes me pause: does it make sense to blame the 2% who make upĀ  a 51-49% victory margin when there is another 49% who are equally to blame for it? Instead of focusing anger on one small group, wouldn't it be more productive to find out how to win back 2% out of ALL the 51% who voted for it?

It is so easy to give in to frustration and despair. I've done it at times myself. But does it help? That's what I have to keep asking myself.

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