President Obama: Gay marriage ‘doesn’t weaken families, it strengthens families’

[bigtree]

from The only adult in the room:

on May 14, 2012

My man:

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Speaking at an event for the first time since announcing his support for same-sex marriage, President Obama said his position was part of his campaign philosophy, rooted, he said, in “the basic idea that I want everybody treated fairly in this country.”

“So much of this has to do with a belief that not only are we all in this together but all of us are equal in terms of dignity, in terms of respect,” the president said to the cheers of 200 people — including singer Ricky Martin and actress Eva Longoria — at the Rubin Museum of Art in downtown New York City.

Consistent with that belief, Obama continued, “the announcement I made last week about my views on marriage equality.”

“We have never gone wrong when we expanded rights and responsibilities to everybody,” he said. “That doesn’t weaken families, it strengthens families.”



Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images

President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign fundraiser May 14, 2012 at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City.

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[JDPriestly]

1. Thank you, Mr. President (and bigtree).

While we are at it, has everyone seen the movie, The Longoria Affair?

(Obviously Eva Longoria's name reminded me of it.)

It tells an amazing story. I recommend watching it if you haven't. You can get it on Netflix. (I'm not advertising for Netflix, but that is where I saw it.)

On edit -- Woops! I should explain the tie between that movie and this post. The Longoria Affair was one of the events that moved Lyndon Johnson to place his political chips on the side of racial equality. It's a moving story and shows a side of Johnson that many of us do not know about.

It makes you proud to be a Democrat.

[BootinUp]

2. The repukes are playing on Obamas turf now. nt

[bigtree]

3. you know it, BootinUp. nt

[MineralMan]

4. Thank you, Mr. President!

Selling equality should be easy in this country. It's very sad that it is not. Please keep it up!

[bigtree]

5. this is where Barack Obama excels

. . . he's more than an organizer; he's a uniter.

[MineralMan]

6. That's very true.

Watching him with people around him, the approval he generates can be seen on almost every face, and it doesn't matter whether it's a political rally or remarks to a bunch of military personnel. People just plain like the President. I don't see the same response when Romney is in a crowd. Nothing like it.

[bigtree]

7. not to go on and on

. . . I just want to note how much of Romney's campaign is about working to divide Americans among ourselves; along the lines of race; ethnicity; class; income . . . it is amazing how such an approach can actually appeal.

Someone, somewhere is saying to themselves, after hearing Romney's divisive rhetoric, "I'm not one of the others. I'm part of this special group of exclusions." Yet, of course, that's a dwindling number, from the basis of it's own logic -- leading to yet another autocratic, unitary government rule, if the republican campaign is ultimately successful.

[cr8tvlde]

13. In my mind I see him ducking behind the screen or curtains

and putting hand sanitizer on his hands every few minutes. All these serfs ... can't be too careful.

[yellowcanine]

8. It is high time a national politician made that point. And keeps making it.

Thank you Mr. President. The lies of the Religious Right stand naked before the truth.

[bigtree]

9. hearing it from the leader of the nation -- this leader

. . . elevates the issues of equality and unity to imperatives and raises them to an equal level with our country's most urgent priorities.

[Lugnut]

10. Rec times 100! n/t

[bigtree]

11. +1000!

[bigtree]

12. .