What Did We Do?
It will take ballots to create change in the Legislature
“I didn’t do nothin’!”
“Good, then you can come out of the closet!”
Exchange between Detective Briscoe and a suspect found hiding in the closet on Law & Order
What happens when 50 people complain about a corporate policy or legislative action? Not much.
How about 500 people standing on the steps of the state Capitol? This could be viewed as a festive celebration but no real cause for legislative redirection.
How about 5,000 e-mails, letters, calls and protestors? This could possibly create an eye twitch of attention.
What happens when voters turn out by the millions and vote against a law that is clearly unconstitutional and so ludicrous that it causes the world to challenge the sanity of every lawmaker in the state? This is guaranteed to get a lawsuit filed by the federal government and numerous boycotts by some powerful organizations.
By doing nothing and professing political innocence and/or ignorance, the people allow legislators to create laws filled with enough equine fecal matter to give professional boycotters a sense of fulfilled purpose through to eternity.
Even in the LGBT nation, there’s a difference of opinion about the legality and racial intent of Arizona’s immigration law SB1070. I’m not a lawyer, but I worked for one for more than 11 years. I know enough law not to begin to spout on the legal ramifications of SB1070.
However, I am clear that we, the LGBT nation, need to watch the progress and hopeful decline of this law. The whole world is watching. As the legal pundits gather to debate the destiny of SB1070, we must watch, wait and witness the outcome. As the legislators of this great state prepare to go to the mat over the best way to protect America’s border, the LGBT nation must be about the business of gathering our legal experts to determine how the law will affect the LGBT nation.
The federal lawsuit does not state that SB1070 is racist. It alleges that SB1070 is contrary to the intent of the U.S. Constitution and thus contrary to the will of the federal government and inherently contrary to the overall will of the American people.
If SB1070 is contrary to the will of the U.S. government and could in some way usurp some federal law, then it would seem to me that the law banning gay and lesbian marriage is unconstitutional and therefore contrary to the will of the American people. When can we expect a team of federal lawyers to descend on Arizona prepared to file a federal writ forcing the state to cease and desist its countercultural activities against the LGBT nation.
It’s not going to happen. Why? Because, we have less than 500 people standing on the steps of the state Capitol demanding justice for the LGBT nation. Not only does it appear that the world is no longer watching the plight of the LGBT nation in Arizona, it would seem that world no longer cares.
In light of the controversial passage of SB1070, the LGBT nation can no longer afford to sit and do nothing. A time of action has arrived. Waiting for someone else to step up and fight the battle is no longer an option. The time has come for the LGBT nation to rise up and be more than just a little verbal.
Standing in solidarity with activists from other cultures and beliefs creates talking points at the table of equality. When we support the valid and viable causes of others we build a bridge that welcomes them to support us. It seems to me that if we stir the pot just enough, the federal government will step in to review more than the policies of one sheriff or the single law among many that should be viewed as unconstitutional and contrary to the will of the people.
SB1070’s sponsor, Sen. Russell Pearce, is not directly affected by any boycott by any organization. The boycott does not touch his wallet. Boycotts directed toward Arizona directly affect the workers, not the politicians. The hotel will not close, but they will lay off unneeded workers.
If boycotts directly affected the politicians they would have already reversed their decision and withdrawn the law. SB1070 is about drawing a line in the sand. The appropriate boycott is a boycott to cast out the existing stinking high-thinking legislators and vote in ones with a little more common sense.
What does it take? One million voices at the polls on Nov. 2.
The Rev. Elder Charlotte Strayhorne is a co-pastor with Casa de Cristo Church. She can be reached at RevCharlotte@Casadecristo.org or Cstrayhorne@hotmail.com
