Fotografo de Bodas, Santiago

November 16, 2008

When I went to school at Campus Macul of la Chile university here in Santiago, every Thursday was dubbed “Protest Thursday.” It didn’t really matter whether there were any real issues to get up in arms about — Thursdays the students protested, rain or shine, with or without cause.

Sometimes I was annoyed because my classes would be canceled if the protests were big enough, sometimes I was happy to see the students stand up for their rights if I thought they were protesting an issue worth talking about and once I was really scared when they were protesting APEC and someone threw a rock that hit me in the head.

In the news, I get upset whenever I see injuries and violence at protests. I know that a lot of kids who protest are intelligent and speaking out against the injustices in their country, which is a wonderful thing, but on the other end, there are so many who go just to make trouble. They throw giant rocks and molotov bombs at the police. The police fight back and chaos breaks out. The kids who incite the violence are often painted as innocent little babies being crushed down by the big bad government. I’m not saying the police are always in the right. I’m just saying, the violence comes from both sides.

Anyways, I’m getting way off topic. What I wanted to write about is the fact that Chileans have often asked me why people in my country don’t protest when we don’t like the way things are going. I tell them what I think is the truth, “Our generation has had it so good for so long, we don’t think we have a lot to protest about.” However, I also explain that we often do have protests, they just don’t make the news down here in Chile. For me, during college I participated in protests fighting back against the injustices illegal immigrants in the U.S. face. I picketed Taco Bell, who buys (or maybe that has changed, I haven’t been following the sage since I moved here) tomatoes picked by illegal immigrants and refuses to pay them humane wages. That was a concept near and dear to my heart because I’ve always worked in restaurants and been friends with cooks and bus boys and managers, who were illegal. I know they’re not a faceless evil coming into our country to take down the good ol’ American boy. They’re people trying to make a better life for their families. I don’t fault them for that, and I think every human, regardless of government status, deserves humane treatment. So yes, we do protest, although my generation hasn’t protested nearly as much as the generations before us because we’re lazy and used to our cushy lives.

After my country voted Obama president, I was proud, yet still felt immense feelings of disappoint and shame that we are so bigoted we took rights away from a minority group. I was SHOCKED that so many people voted for writing discrimination into the constitution and want to refuse gays the right to marry. However, this weekend I was proud to see my people stand up against something so wrong. Protests were held in 50 states and 10 countries. Chile blogger Clare just wrote about the Milwaukee protest and has pictures of some really great signs people brought out.

This isn’t about what the religious fanatics believe it is. This is about seperation of Church and State. That’s what our country is based on! Our founding fathers are probably rolling over in their graves right now after seeing that line, not even blurred, but completely crossed. If you don’t believe gays should have the right to marry, then that’s fine. Be part of a hateful religion that treats people as second class citizens, not as equals as the Jesus you claim to believe in preached. But, don’t try to impose your religion upon the government. Discrimination is WRONG.

Remember back in the day when people thought women and blacks were second class citizens? We look to our history books and can barely even conceptualize how ridiculous that concept is. One day, in my lifetime, we will look back and have our minds boggled again by the fact that people tried to denied gays and lesbians the right to marry.

Free love, peeps, free love.

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8 Comments

That was beautifully said Keelay! I couldn’t agree more. I was so proud of the US for electing Obama but soooo disappointed in the lack of seperation between church and state. We still have so far to go…

Comment by Hulie Jolmes — November 16, 2008 @ 8:43 pm

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I saw John McCain on Ellen yesterday (recorded pre-election)and it was just shocking. S.H.O.C.K.I.N.G. I just cannot GET (I mean, I REALLY CAN’T GRASP for the life of me) why you shouldn’t get married if you’re gay. I wish there was one person on earth who could give me any kind of argument at all on this point.

Comment by Raybelles — November 16, 2008 @ 11:05 pm

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i think prop 8 is ridiculous. what adam and steve do is not my business….. but the voters spoke and that’s just the way it is….at least until they speak again and change it back.

Comment by Nomadic Matt — November 17, 2008 @ 5:56 am

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Thanks Kyle for the plug for my pictures. My sign, not pictures, said equal love equal rights. As to Matt’s comment that the voter’s have spoken…. well, someone’s poster said something that spoke to me. Majority rule should not equal constitutional law. If it did then all minorities would be in trouble. For example, the majority of people in the US do not wear headscarfes, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allow people too. The majority of the US is not kosher, but that does not mean we should discriminate against those who are. Most american’s eat mean, that doesn’t mean that vegetarians should not have a choice on menus. The US was created by people running from oppression. Running because they were a minority and could not get their voices heard. It is sad when history repeats itself.

Comment by Clare — November 17, 2008 @ 8:57 am

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Ditto to a lot of what you said. I used to take the position that mostly it was thugs starting the violence and police were then escalating – using too much violence, but only because they’d been driven to it – until from my office window I saw people standing in the street chanting. From what I could see they weren’t doing anything more than blocking traffic, and a water cannon came to clear the streets. They ran away, off Providencia and down a side street – presumably what they were supposed to do, how else could they clear the street? – and the water cannon followed them. It’s just a very bad situation, with far too many people on both sides willing to take the first violent move.

I’m really proud of people who’ve peacefully protested Prop 8 – I’ve seen pictures and videos that have brought tears to my eyes. I don’t agree with physically or verbally attacking Prop 8 supporters (specifically Mormons) because those people may be wrong in my eyes, but they’re entitled to their opinions. But making our voices heard in any way possible – whether through protesting, leaving a religious group or economically boycotting – is exciting!

Comment by Emily — November 17, 2008 @ 9:00 am

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Nomadic Matt, it’s okay to discriminate as long as the majority of people think that is the way things should be? Isn’t the US constitution supposed to be based on protecting the rights of the minority, not just the majority? What kind of country considers itself to have any kind of freedom or civil rights and yet can be ruled by the tyranny of the majority?

I’ve heard that argument so many times that I think I’m going to puke the next time it comes up.

I hope the California Supreme Court overrules the proposition. It’s unconcealed discrimination against a class of people.

Comment by Ordinary Girl — November 17, 2008 @ 9:02 am

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On my way to see Role Models, I somehow was thrown into the middle of the protest here in NYC. There were some fabulous signs (albeit a few that needed a copy editor). I tried to get a photo of the life-size Palin one but it was too crowded around her…

Jayna

Comment by Anonymous — November 17, 2008 @ 10:01 am

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Loved your post Kyle. Clare – you make some very good points.

Comment by Ritamae — November 18, 2008 @ 8:56 pm

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