Most AA oppose gay marriage in Maryland. Most whites support it

[Weisbergkevin]

From the NYT. 53% of AA oppose it while over 70% of whites support it. That's only Democrats. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/us/maryland-gay-marriage-faces-black-skepticism.html?_r=1&hp

[Scootaloo]

1. This again? n/t

[Zalatix]

23. Oh boy, I'm sure this will pop up a thousand times thanks to the Freeper trolls

Not saying the OP is a freeper troll but I know this will make the freeper trolls SUPER happy.

That said, we need to address the issue. I firmly believe that Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman would have come down in favor of gay rights. However, I also believe Susan B Anthony would have, as well as a number of other famous activists.

Besides, this is nothing more than a distraction to keep us divided against each other instead of united against the Plutocracy.

[RZM]

27. I've never really bought the 'distraction' argument

Just about all of these 'wedge' social issues matter greatly to many people. For some people they matter much more than any other single issue.

Just take abortion/contraception/reproductive rights. Look around DU and you will see that it's an issue that is very important to people and has real relevance to their lives. Same thing on the other side. Have a conversation with somebody who deeply opposes abortion and you will see that the issue is very important to them as well.

Same thing with marriage equality. It really does matter to people. Or guns, or just about any other issue that's described as a 'distraction.'

Frankly, I think it's insulting to tell somebody who cares passionately about an issue that they have been tricked into caring about it. As if they aren't capable of deciding what is and isn't important to them.

To me, the calling these issues 'distractions' is basically a cynical cop out from people who are frustrated that others don't prioritize issues the same way they do.

[Number23]

3. I just juried this thread

I voted to leave it alone because we may as well get this over with. If this thread gets hidden, I'm sure that others will soon pop up.

[pinboy3niner]

4. We've been through this shit before

We never get it over with if we allow these trolls to keep bringing it back.

[Number23]

5. Yep. And in the course of going through this before, some real shit was said

And some real wounds were created.

Jury Results if you're interested:

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Feb 16, 2012, 03:11 AM, and the Jury voted 2-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: The article is ambiguous on who was polled and the subject line of this post takes advantage of that ambiguity to imply that the whole of Maryland was polled.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Damnit! I want to "HIDE" but it doesn't violate CS. [Edited]
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: [Edited] So, sorry, can't vote for the hide. Wish I could.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: The New York Times dips its toes into this bullshit so all the rest of us will have to suffer. I'd love to hide this thread but it will just keep popping up like a cockroach so we may as well get it over with.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: If it is a repeat delete for that reason but it is based on reliable source and is not made up.
We don't have to like it for it to be acceptable

4-2 to leave it alone but if the three of us who openly said we wish we could hide this had done so, it would have been 5-1 hidden. I edited out alerters' comments as well as the more personal comments from jurors on the motives of the OP. I was Juror #5.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I can certainly appreciate that view

Juries decide on the immediate instance. But there IS a history here of trolls continuing to post this. The motives are usually clear--or at least highly suspect. I'm not willing to give them a pass. They should be squelched by a jury or the MIRT.

[pinboy3niner]

7. P.S.--My "FUCK YOU" to the troll still stands, too

Perhaps the jury find that not unwarranted.

[Number23]

35. Well, I can only speak for myself

but your comment was spot on as far as I'm concerned.

Edit! Ha!! NO sooner did I type this post did it get hidden! Oh well, at least you went out with a bang.

[surfdog]

22. I see an agenda

Juror number one didn't even read OP before casting judgment

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT and said: The article is ambiguous on who was polled and the subject line of this post takes advantage of that ambiguity to imply that the whole of Maryland was polled.[\b]

I thought the OP was clear this was only democrats

[progressiveinaction]

20. Help me out here.

What is trollish about posting a New York times article that attempts to breakdown the racial component of discrimination against gays?

[hughee99]

25. It's not favorable to the Dems

because it suggests that one of our core constituencies isn't on board with this and that the reason this is having trouble becoming law isn't JUST because of repukes.

[Pab Sungenis]

28. And if it doesn't get us sniping at each other's throats

then others will pop up, too.

This is an MI and voting to not hide it is keeping the MIRT from disposing of it.

[Frank Cannon]

8. I thought Alcoholics Anonymous didn't take political stands.

I sense shenanigans here.

[av8rdave]

9. Oh...I thought it was American Airlines

[Redstate Bluegirl]

12. Somebody fell off the wagon!

But why single such things out?

[LonePirate]

10. We really need President Obama to provide some leadership here.

[Iggo]

11. Here we go again.

I fell for it last time.

Please don't you fall for it this time.

[Orangepeel]

13. This is about party, not ethnicity

About half of Maryland voters favor marriage equality. The African American population isn't much different.

In general, most white people who favor discrimination against LGBT are already voting for republicans, so they aren't in this poll. A big majority of African Americans vote Democratic, so the African American who favor discrimination are in this poll.

[RZM]

21. You're skirting the real story here

In Maryland, support for marriage equality among white Dems is close to double what it is for black Dems (70 and 41, respectively).

That's a big difference.

Of course Republicans are going to oppose it. That's neither new nor interesting. What is interesting is that such a vital section of the Maryland Democratic constituency opposes it by a 12 point margin. If marriage equality is going to happen, it's usually going to be Democrats that push to make it happen. That would be easier if a larger percentage of the AA population were on board, especially in states like Maryland with high AA populations.

Granted, I get the impression that there were other threads on this that I never saw. But why such hostility to talking about the issue in racial terms? It almost seems like people are genuinely afraid to do so.

[snooper2]

14. I don't see why this is such a big deal and can't be discussed..

The problem here is religion...

The AA community is heavily acitve in their local church community, more-so per populous than I would say the average white family.

It ties to two things, education and religion---


If we could wipe out religion, you wouldn't have ignorant tools preaching every weeked about how it's a sin. To wipe out religion, we need to dramatically increase education levels. Once we have sixth graders asking if god can withstand the heat inside a supernova 13 Trillion light years away we will be making some progress. Or can god even travel that far? Is god made of matter?


Ya follow?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

16. You're right. If we're being honest, this is an issue that we must confront in the black community.

...and the Hispanic community. Hell, in ALL communities!

Why the NYTimes and others continue to single out black opposition is odd to me, but there is a larger goal here and that's to sow discord between the black community and the LGBT community.

But what's so infuriating about it is that there are black and brown LGBT who are marginalized, forgotten.

Nevertheless, the religiosity in the black community does factor here, and we should be honest about it.

Homophobia in the black community--a community to which I belong--saddens me deeply. And Republicans have attempted in the past to use this issue to drive blacks out of the Democratic Party. They don't need to win a substantial amount of the black vote. They only need to siphon off about 10% to make a difference.

Very, very sad.

[AverageJoe90]

37. Seems plausible to me, sadly.

[Scootaloo]

24. Because after Prop 8, certain DU groups turned into fucking Klan rallies

It's a bit of a sore point

[Obamacare]

30. Good luck in wipping out religion.lol

Which, has been around since the beginning of time and is certainly not going anywhere ever. Lots of minorities don't support gay marriage, why the focus on the black community, its very curious to say the least. Also, more whites than blacks in general oppose gay marriage, yet the far left continues to attack minorities on this issue. Soon the far left(not ordinary dems like the majority of dems like myself) will push minorities out of the party. Latinos, are barely even a constituency of dems, they tend to vote rethug, but blacks will be the next group to go if the far left continue their attack on religion. And when and if the black community decides to leave(and they will leave if Christianity is heavily attacked) the democratic party will be toast. I'm a Cuban American and I consider myself a Christian and I don't like how the far left attacks Christianity. I support Obama, but if these attacks continue and the dems continue to single out minorities who are Christians, I will take my vote somewhere else. Who wants to stay where they aren't wanted and attacked constantly?

[snooper2]

31. We have to start somewhere-

Pandering to mythology isn't the way forward, if we as a species want to advance.

My point was that education is key. Whatever color, the lesser the persons education the more likely they are to be against gay marriage. Also remember, the lower a persons education level the more "faithful" and "church going" they are. Study after survey after study.

The two go hand in hand...



I'm not on the far left by the way, I'm a corporate whore to some folks around here

[Obamacare]

33. "Pandering to mythology"

This line of thinking right here, is what will drive many religious dems away. I've heard many other minorities who attend my church say they are tired of the way the left attacks religion. And like I said before, Latinos can barely be counted as apart of the dem constituency and if other minorities like African Americans start to leave the party, its lights out for dems.

[Number23]

34. The issue, for me at least

is that more black people live in the Southeastern US more than the other regions (Northeastern, midwest and West) combined. And yet, even there we do not have the numbers to really "make or break" elections. If that was the case, Obama would have won Georgia/Alabama/South Carolina etc. in a landslide in 2008.

And yet, when certain issues come up, for some reason the media LEAPS to break down support for it by by race. They ignore that lily white states like Maine and others have voted down gay marriage. Just about the only state/district where blacks hold any sizable majority would be in DC which voted FOR gay marriage.

So there is definitely an agenda at work on this very particular issue. And I really don't understand why this seems to keep coming up. Homophobia is definitely a problem in the black community but the idea that it is more of a problem in this one community above all others is tiresome, untrue and getting on my last damn nerve.

[snooper2]

36. I can see your point with that..Divisiveness sells

The part they never mention is how many republicans support gay marriage-

Again, it's the Santorum fringe fundies that will never change- A good chunk of repukes ( I work with many ) could care less if two women or men get married. They just care about their pocketbooks and giving away their taxes to poor people who won't work



Again, Education is key

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

15. I'm black. I'm a Democrat. I live in Maryland. And I support marriage equality 100 percent!

Flamebait much?!??!

[Mr Dixon]

17. IMO

My .02, AA tends to be very religious at least the ones that vote so they tend to be against whatever madness the pastor tells them believe. In my limited knowledge of the bible not sure Gay marriage is even in the bible. I could be wrong.

[WI_DEM]

18. I notice the OP has nothing more to add to this thread?

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Yadda, yadda yadda...how fun to play with generalities and framings!

I'd like to post this clip of Rachel Maddow and Mellisa Harris-Perry from the post Prop 8 time. They get to the point without the crapola, they allow the facts without the extrapolations.

Plenty to discuss in that clip, with a starting point that seeks the good, not separation of Democrats.

[LibertyLover]

26. Unfortunately last year's bill on

marriage equality in Maryland was defeated in part because many of the representatives from Prince George's county, which is predominently African American (64.5% according to the 2010 census), indicated they would not vote for the final bill as their constituents did not want it, even if they had supported the bill initially. Most of the reasons given for their non-support of marriage equality by the citizenry were based on religion. I admit that I was somewhat cheered that the representatives actually listened to the citizens they represented, but was bummed it was on marriage equality. This unfortunately remains a problem. One prominent African American minister with a large megachurch in PG county became vitriolic when asked by, IIRC, a Washington Post reporter about the civil rights aspect of marriage equality. The minister insisted that the fight for their civil rights by African Americans was in no way comparable to the fight by LGTB for equal rights and that he was greatly offended by the comparison. I just hope this year the outcome is different.

[KamaAina]

29. "That's only Democrats."

Almost all MD repukes are white, except Michael Steele. And almost all oppose marriage equality. So they're comparing apples to oranges.

[dsc]

32. The article is actually important

in that it shows that gays are attempting to win over blacks instead of ignoring them as we have often done. The poll is rather silly in that without knowing what percent of whites are Democratic it really isn't giving us any useful info.

[Vanje]

38. Mirt Alert!