Equality matters

I mentioned earlier that, like Billmon, I've become increasingly cynical that even the removal of the Bush administration will change the course of things sufficiently quickly to avert the oncoming disasters. However, my personal disillusionment with the Democrats is also due to the fact that by and large, Democrats seem to have forgotten how to talk about rights, equality, and justice.

Aside from John Edwards, we have yet to see a Democratic politician with an explicit message about poverty and inequality in America. Certainly, Edwards is the only major Democratic politician who's made it central to his campaigns. (This may mean Edwards is the nominee in 2008, who knows?) Moreover, while the Dems are eager to put out bad messages about how "together, we can move America forward" or some godawful tripe like that, they singularly avoid the basic issue of justice.

From unions and health care, to women's and gay and lesbian rights, the Left has been at its best and at its strongest when it remembers that our demands are not privileges to be shared, but rights that are owed to us, and are to be demanded.

We deserve a say in our daily life in the workplace because democracy is not just for every fourth year. Democracy is something you believe in every day of your life, or it's nothing.

We all deserve health care because if our most basic asset - our physical health - can be denied us because of poverty, or the status of our employer, then nobody is free.

Women, homosexuals, minorities of all kinds, not to mention those of us in the majority, are owed equality before the law and before all of us because, in the words of Joss Whedon, "Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women." Together.

When I see someone - other than Joss Whedon - making those arguments to the public, then (maybe) I'll start to be more optimistic about our future.

Two subsidiary notes: 1) If you'd like to read the text of Whedon's speech, sans video, follow this link.

2) My girlfriend's sister's immediate reaction, upon seeing Whedon's speech: "Is he married?" (He is, but more importantly so is she.)