Tax Me More. Cover Everyone.

Andrew Sullivan writes

I grew up with socialized medicine, and I know what a disaster it is. It's coming, of course. You can feel it. Bush paved the way. The golden era of American medicine and research will soon cede to more and more state control. It will exchange a great deal of its excellence for more access for more people. That's the bargain most democracies make.

There are people I love and care about with no health insurance. Mostly low-income, mostly self-employed, and many of the ones I know personally work in the arts, as part-time college faculty, etc.

And I know a lot of people, including myself, who remain in a full-time job they may not care for (I love much about my job, especially the teaching, and yet the negativity and pettiness that seems an inevitable part of academic life seems intolerable at times) or want to leave, stay in it to maintian health insurance for themselves and especially their dependents.

I know socialized medicine would bring with it many problems. But I'd rather pay some higher taxes and know that the people who can't get health insurance, and who can't pay the often higher-than-what-insurance-companies-pay-providers fees, are covered.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is eliminating its funding of national LGBTQ groups, while continuing support for its LGBTQ employees. National groups are being pretty understanding, according to the article, but many individuals feel hurt and, it seems, betrayed.

Wanda Sykes on Gay Marriage

Just to clarify,

I'm in favor of same-sex marriage, called marriage. Thinking pragmatically, the introduction of civil unions could, in some states, be an appropriate and helpful first step, and avoid a constitutional showdown. Which will come eventually, I'm sure. But it would be nice to put it off until the Supreme Court has a different balance.

Tide turning in favor of equality?

I'm delighted, of course, that the Massachusetts anti-gay marriage amendment didn't make it to the ballot, and that some day I might be able to be legally married there--it's a state I loved since spending a summer studying at Tanglewood almost 30 years ago. And New York is getting in on the act as well, or at least moving towards it. The State Assembly passed a pro-gay marriage bill yesterday after an emotional debate. The bill is being blocked in the Senate by its majority later, but sooner or later it, or a similar bill, will get through. Nothing is as powerful as an idea who's time has come, Victor Hugo pointed out long ago.

Andrew Sullivan puts it well:

The reason the civil rights movement for gay equality under the law has been so successful so swiftly is because gay people have an army of allies: our families. Among the most powerful advocates in particular are relatively conservative families of gay people.

Giuliani on civil unions

Rudi Giuliani has finally clarified his views on various issues including abortion and gay rights. He's for civil unions, not same-sex marriage.

I have great respect for those campaigning for full marriage rights, and I am in favor of them. But I've always thought that from a pragmatic point of view the best way to achieve them is through civil unions as a first step. The word "marriage" is so polarizing, especially at a time in which Christian nationalists have had so much influence. "Civil unions" is less threatening to those in the middle. Once it's been demonstrated that "marriage light" (as some dismissively refer to civil unions) doesn't bring catastrophic consequences, it will be easier to rename them.

This made me sick

Nothing in recent weeks has made me feel as physically ill as this Southern Voice story about the six-year old girl whose adoption had been given the highest endorsement by all authoirities, as well as the girl's birth mother, yet was halted by an anti-gay Georgia judge when he found out the mom-to-be is a lesbian. It's one of the clearest examples yet of the need for legal same-sex marriage, and for other case or positive law giving full parenting rights to LGBT adults.

I defy anyone other than the most fanatical idealogue to consider the facts as presented and find an a way to argue that what has happened could have done anything other than traumatize all concerned, especially the girl.