I woke up sick this morning. Although I’m not happy to be sick, one good (and incredibly frustrating) thing that came out of it was that I got to listen to the beginning of Brian Lehrer’s show on WNYC, one of our public radio stations. I got to listen to New York State Senator Ruben Diaz try to make his case for why gay marriage shouldn’t be legal. Yeah. Try to make his case. If you click on the link to Brian’s show and click on “listen to the whole show,” Diaz’s interview is the first segment. You only have to listen for a minute or two to hear how troubling he is. It’s really unbelievable. To hear how tongue-tied he gets when Brian very casually points out again and again the holes in his arguments is fascinating … and maddening. This is one of the loudest voices we hear in opposition to gay marriage in New York. And this is how incoherent he is? This is how unable he is to articulate his own position? This is how little substance he has behind his arguments?
If you listen a little longer and get past his gay marriage craziness, you’ll get to hear Brian take him to task on his statement that abortion is the American equivalent to the Holocaust and how comparing abortion doctors to Hitler could fuel violence such as the murder of Dr. Tiller.
How has this man been elected again and again? How can anyone listen to the things he says and decide to vote for him? On any issue?
Happily, the Diaz interview is followed up by an interview with Senator Liz Krueger … and she is so wholly sane and calm and level. And I don’t just say that because she supports the same side of this issue that I do. I say it because she actually has something to say that makes sense, she has reasoned responses to Brian’s questions, whereas Diaz seems to think that the law should be decided based on the intensity of his feelings on the issue, not based on what’s legal or what’s right.
(Of course, in light of the crazy upheaval in the Senate today, who knows what’s going to become of our marriage equality bill.)
if you want kin, you must plant kin ... 
Thanks for the heads up, Claudia. I’m having computer blues so comments are few and brief.
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What’s the category you placed this under? BRAIN FREEZE? Yeah, I’ve got that now, too. Ugh.
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Total brain freeze. Every time I think of this ‘arguments.’
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Sometimes I try to tell myself that people aren’t consciosuly voting for these morons, that their votes are the result of baby-kissing and parlor tricks. I hate to believe that so many people listen to such horrid, narrow-minded views and vote in agreement with them because it makes good sense to do so. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in NY. We’re watching — miles and miles away, we’re watching.
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I wish I could believe that people didn’t listen to and vote for this kind of craziness. I talked to a friend of mine who runs an adult ed program in the Bronx and she shook her head at my incredulity, told me to just remember, “It’s. The. Bronx.” That was a bit disheartening, to say the least.
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Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well, and this certainly is sickening…now Albany’s a mess, and it’s unclear how the shift will affect the vote on gay marriage. Still hard to believe others get to VOTE on people’s civil rights…
This rain’s got me feeling blah, too…hope you feel better soon.
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Things are such a mess right now. I feel as if the Senate’s been taken over by a room full of 3rd grade bullies. Did you see the photo of Senator Espada holding up the key to the chamber? That look on his face was so juvenile. Feh. This just frustrates the mess out of me.
I’m actually feeling better. I don’t think I was sick. I think I was stressed. I had a critical site visit from a funder this week, and I had worked myself into a bit of a frenzy about it. Thank goodness that’s over! Hope you’re feeling better.
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Niiiiiice.
Why is Ruben Diaz so incoherent? ’cause this is what is really on his mind: “Gay marriage is wrong because… because… because… I JUST CAN’T STOP FANTASIZING ABOUT IT!!”
Oye. I was going to say that it was scary that his name starts with “Senator,” but then I realized he is in simple one of many with the same distinctions of “Senator” and “idiot”.
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Thanks for making me laugh out loud! He’s so maddening in this interview (ok, in every interview I’ve ever heard with him).
Of course, our entire Senate here in NY have been showing themselves to be utterly maddening this past month. Feh.
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