I want to celebrate but I'm having a tough time doing so.

[LynneSin]

I feel like that the powers to be with the GOP got together with the 5 Supreme Court Justices and decided that with the 3 major cases they were hearing (Affirmative Action, Voter's Rights and Marriage Equality) that they were going to give one of them to the democrats and then turn back rights with the other 2.

Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful that finally DOMA is overturned - I am very very very happy about this! But in 48 hours we have lost so much else.

Do you know that thanks to the Voter's Right act, TX State Senator Wendy Davis's senate district was spared from gerrymandering. Had the GOP had their way her district would have been divided up so she would not have won re-election. (Wendy Davis was the democrat that filibustered for 11 hours to protect women's rights in Texas). Now the GOP can further create havoc to ensure that minorities never have any representation especially at the state level where it is very much needed!

In one week it'll be 150 years since the battle at Gettysburg, 150 years since the North was finally able to turn back the South and take the first steps in creating equality for all in our country. In the last 48 hours the GOP has taken giant steps to turn things back to the way it use to be.

I hate to say it - but if you are in a red state you're pretty much fucked.

[Wait Wut]

1. Way to go, LS.

You're harshing my buzz.

Not really. This is what's been sticking in the back of my mind all morning. But, I'm putting it aside for a couple of days to try to focus on something positive. The other crap is still back there, but it can wait a minute.

Today, I'm celebrating hope for humanity. Tomorrow, I'll accept the fact that I live in a red state and am fucked.

Miss you, darlin'.

[LynneSin]

7. Well I'll make up for it tonight

Working the Melissa Etheridge concert here in Delaware.

I'm sure it'll be extra special tonight because of the ruling!

[Wait Wut]

9. That atmosphere will be electric!

Have a great time!

[LynneSin]

14. I know. I mean the concert has been on the schedule for about 4 months now

Who knew this would pass. And Delaware is such a pro-gay friendly state.

[Sissyk]

39. +1

Yes, This!! Let's take one day for celebration.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. LynneSin

Remember Philly last year? It's not just red states in terms of Presidential elections.

[Marrah_G]

3. I can understand that

Many of us felt the same way after winning the election and the prop 8 crap all on the same day.

[TDale313]

8. Oh yeah.

Election night 2008 was equal parts joy and gut punch.

[QC]

10. Yep. I cried twice that night,

first in joy because Obama won and then in sorrow because of Prop H8.

It was an intense night, and not entirely in a good way.

[quinnox]

4. you are supposed to not think about that, and start praising Obama to the moon for his great

accomplishment of overturning the gay marriage thing. Except...he was vocally against it for the first part of his term...except...he wasn't the one who filed and won the lawsuit that the Supreme Court decided...

[DevonRex]

16. Stupidest post ever. nt

[quinnox]

20. facts can be hard to take

in happy cloud land. Tell me what I got wrong.

[we can do it]

32. Intelligent people do grow and learn.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

24. +1

[Progressive dog]

26. +1

[awoke_in_2003]

47. And he came out for equality...

prior to his re-election. That was politically risky. He evolved- you have to at least give him that.

[sibelian]

5. I entirely agree. K+R

[frazzled]

6. You are not alone

From a friend of mine on Facebook (CA resident who was married in Canada many years ago): "well well well: we are married ... again! Hurrah. Momentous. Sorry for the very bitter aftertaste of yesterday's voting-rights decision. It's like 2008 in reverse with race and gender rights flipped."

Minority voting rights, women's rights ... heck, climate change too. All these things are still long battles to be fought. (Though it's hard to believe that we're still fighting over race and equality for women after all these centuries). We must all do them together.

Today we celebrate the great victories for LGBT Americans. Tomorrow, they join in the fight for every other kind of equality.

[last1standing]

11. If you can't celebrate today, you never will.

Yes, gutting VRA was a wrongheaded and legally unjustifiable action by the SCOTUS that will have long term effects. That is very bad news. But there will never be a perfect world and the ability to celebrate the good that happens while mourning the bad is necessary if we are ever to be happy.

So celebrate today but don't forget about yesterday. We have won a battle but continue the struggle. That is life.

[LynneSin]

19. I'm hoping somehow this can go back to congress

to be honest, we need new laws about Gerrymandering. In Pennsylvania just about the same number of people who voted for Obama (just about 53%) also voted to have a democrat represent them in the US House. Yet the state is so badly gerrymandered that the GOP have 13 of PA 18 US House seats.

That's just total bullshit.

And to top things off - PA wants to reward Electoral votes based on congressional districts which means a state that clearly votes democratic statewide would still support the Republican.

The GOP knows they are dying out but still know how to control the country

[totodeinhere]

49. You have the right attitude IMO. Celebrate the wins, and DOMA was a HUGE win, mourn

the losses and move on to the next battle. One of those battles will be an effort to get Congress to pass a new VRA. And yes we need to work hard to defend affirmative action. And of course there will be big battles ahead for LGBT rights. We need gay marriage legalized in all 50 states, not just 13.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Short term...you are correct.

Medium ,maybe.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023102346

We are in the middle of something that is starting to take shape...but the war will be long

[DevonRex]

13. Yep. Now the Republicans can take away as many solid Democratic votes

as they want to by gerrymandering African Americans and Latinos and other minorities into large districts with few voting machines and short voting hours. But they through us a consolation prize with a half-ass ruling that should have gone further on marriage.

[liberal_at_heart]

15. yes the vote on voters rights is very disturbing. It is something we will have to fight hard on. We

will have to bombard our Congressmen with call and emails and maybe even protest in the streets. It is a very serious blow to our basic, fundamental freedom, just as the Patriot Act is. We cannot just let this stand. We must fight it. The Texas anti-abortion law will probably get shot down in federal court. It is digusting what they did, but I doubt it will stand. Today is a good day for our LGBT community. My daughter is bisexual, and plans on attending this years Gay Pride Parade in just a few days. It should be quite a party.

[carolinayellowdog]

17. even though I'm a partnered gay man, I agree

one day after the VRA catastrophe is too soon to feel celebratory about my civil rights-- but this DOMA/Prop 8 step in the right direction looks irreversible whereas yesterday's step in the wrong direction hopefully isn't

[LynneSin]

22. I want you to know how happy I was this happened

It was so funny, my new coworker came to my desk to show me the news on her cell phone and I had already had it up on my cell phone. I suspect the thinks I am gay. I have a magnet at my desk from the LGBT group at our company but it's just a magnet to show I am an Ally of the group (straight but supporting LGBT rights).

But if it makes you feel good I will be celebrating tonight. It just happens that Melissa Etheridge in concert tonight here in Wilmington Delaware and I am working that show. I suspect it's going to be an amazing concert tonight thanks to what happened today.

[KamaAina]

23. I imagine it will be

the crowd may get so large it spills over into Maryland.

And welcome back!

[LynneSin]

25. Just visiting

today was a good reason to visit!

[KamaAina]

29. Y'all come back soon, ya heah?

as Wendy Davis might say.

[Prism]

18. My sense of celebration is definitely dampened

This is a historic day for my community and yet . . . and yet . . .

It just doesn't feel right to go whole hog with the fireworks knowing that, while equality was given to us, it was taken away from others.

It's good to be happy that we now see the end of the tunnel on marriage equality, but also good to be mindful that we've many miles yet to go before everyone has the place in this country they deserve.

[Triana]

21. My sentiments exactly, unfortunately. n/t

[cali]

27. My reaction is identical

[Zorra]

28. Couldn't you have at least waited until tomorrow morning to post this?

Seriously, WTF?

[LynneSin]

30. Really?

I know that the LGBT community has been a big part in helping to elect democrats but so have the minorities.

Had the opposite happen, VRA or Affirmative Action upheld along with DOMA upheld I would have felt the same exact way.

And from the other replies from my post I see that I am not alone in these feelings.

[quinnox]

31. I thought that was a cheap shot

Generally I like zorra's posts, but this one seems off. You, or anyone else, can post whatever the hell you want (within reason and what is suitable for DU of course)

There was nothing wrong with this OP.

[LynneSin]

33. Well maybe I was harsh too

I mean this is a long time coming and people have the rights to celebrate.

I'm just such an emotional person that I can't forget what we have lost and thus the celebration is a bit sad for me too.

But it's also proof positive that just because you have things your way right now that it doesn't mean it's set in stone. Perhaps VRA/Affirmative Action should have been the early wake-up call that true equality is still the long fight that could go either way.

[ElboRuum]

46. Yes, I think they do.

If we can't celebrate this without the Cold Water Bucket Brigade being started up, at least for a little while, then what is the point of anything we are doing? Is having liberal views just a prescription for unending disappointment punctuated by the occasional elation and then summarily quashed by some onerous caveat?

Far be it from me to tell anyone what to post or when, but as a community, I think we need to celebrate this victory for what it is, without reservation or concern. We so seldom have things to be happy about here, it would be cruel to deny ourselves a bit of happiness when the occasions arise.

[totodeinhere]

50. No, voting rights are so important and so central to building a government

that represents all the people that there should be no delay in implementing the fight against that regressive court ruling. And all the while we can continue to celebrate the LGBT rights victories.

[Skittles]

52. "now is not the time"

actually when the subject is the civil rights of anyone - including gay folk and minority folk - now is ALWAYS the time

[Initech]

34. This has been a long hard fought battle. The war ain't over yet.

But enjoy this victory while it lasts!

[LynneSin]

35. It's ironic you say 'while it lasts'

Because I'm sure when VRA and Affirmative Action laws passed they celebrated too thinking that everything would work out in the end.

I do hope and pray that this is not the case though!

[Initech]

37. I hope so too.

But the fundies think they own and can control everybody (see their activity in Uganda, for instance). Let's hope this is the true death of DOMA and that it doesn't morph together and come back as something scarier, Terminator style.

[hunter]

36. Yep. Two steps forward, one-and-a-half step back

But better than nothing.

[boilerbabe]

38. you are correct and shouldn't feel guilty. that is their thing playing one group against the other.

against the other. take note of the nasty gay bashing coming from Uganda and the slew of hate crimes against gays perpetuated by hispanics in NYC. of course i dont blame whole groups for behaviors of a few but it is an uncomfortable fact nobody , including on DU, want to talk about. Look at thee 2008 election for example. there has been a concerted effort by the fundiesdating back to the 90's to tell African Americans that gays want special rights like it is a zero sum game. yeah we are all rich and summer on Fire ISLAND. sadly ths topic can never be disscussed on this site without some minority claiming they are all being accused of bigotry. and yes there still is BIGOtry. the shit written about glenn greenwald for example was despicable. I am sure that DUer Ellen Ferarri from SF will be here shortly to scold me and try to shut me down.

but hell no my friend Lynnsin there is NOtHING wrong with how you think.

[rug]

40. Come back to the Lounge.

We fixed that problem.

[LynneSin]

41. Do we have a problem with people shitting from their mouths

I'm a bit frightened

[rug]

53. Well, since we're in GD I'm reluctant to say.

[denbot]

42. Hi LynnSin

Not to hijack your post, but hi.

[pnwmom]

43. I've been wondering the same thing, LynneSin. They turned themselves into heroes

today, after devastating opinions earlier in the week.

I can be happy about today and still be angry about the rest of their decisions. Scalia is particularly galling, with his stated concern in DOMA about not overruling a legislative act -- and yet he had no problem doing so with the VRA that had been approved by multiple legislatures and Presidents.

[JI7]

44. if Gore was President we would have won on all of those

[Samantha]

45. And that is exactly why I do not live in a red state

I have done that twice in my lifetime and was extremely unhappy. The second time I was actually in culture shock the first five years I lived there (although I did not recognize then). Eventually I found my way back to the East and now live in College Park, Maryland. I am extremely comfortable in my own political skin here. I wish everyone could have that feeling. Some I guess are just stuck where they are.

Sam

[Baitball Blogger]

48. Welcome back LynneSin!

I realize you've probably always been around, but I'm glad to see you're back to posting.

Great one to start out with.

[totodeinhere]

51. An article in HuffPost said essentially the same thing you are saying.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/supreme-court-doma_n_3434870.html

In a now familiar two-step of jurisprudence, the Roberts Court on Wednesday tactically ceded ground it did not regard as crucial -- this time, on two gay rights cases. Cable TV was full of smiling gay rights activists, happy that the Supreme Court had effectively restored same-sex marriage in California and ensured federal benefits for same-sex couples married in the 12 states (and D.C.) that sanction it.

But politically, these tolerant rulings on the country's social fabric deflect attention from the Roberts Court's deeper goal: to remove the federal government as an impediment to corporate, state and local power. In other words, to dismantle a framework of progressive laws and court rulings stretching back to Teddy Roosevelt, the New Deal and the Great Society.

"Roberts has a long-range plan for radical change," said Norman Ornstein, a senior scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "And he's moving faster than he thought possible when he started eight years ago."