Re: the next wedge issue

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Michael Perelman wrote:
>
>
> My original point in mentioning the subject was that gay marriage gets
> people emotional and prevents rational discourse.  I did not expect that
> observation to apply here on this list.
>
_Every_ issue of any importance to the left gets people emotional, or
ought to. And gay marriage no more prevents rational discourse than does
(e.g.) the question of whether radicals should support the DP in the
2004 election.

There can be no left in the United States that does not take this issue
seriously. To treat it as marginal or as a distraction is to deny the
possibility of a unified left. As Lou says, a revolutinary party that
did not expel Melvin would not be a revolutionary party.

How can you expect us to be concerned about wages if the only wages we
are concerned with are (a) those for white male homophobes and (b) those
wages revealed in the numbers on a check?

Wages for the working class equal (with no real remainder) daily expense
of reproducing themselves to go to work the next day. Those daily
expenses include rent.

You, by trivializing the issue of gay marriage, are saying that the
wages of all gays and lesbians should be reduced since the denial of
marriage rights means they pay more for rent, and also more in taxes.

It is the defenders of gay marriage that are really most concerned with
wages.

Opponents of gay marriage (or those who trivialize the issue) are a
disunifying force.

That is obvious to everyone in respect to sexism and racism. Why is it
not equally obvious in respect to any other sector of the working class
who are singled out for special repression under contemporary
capitalism?

Solidarity is not a sentiment. And on this list now solidarity is
measured by the total repudiation of the kind of horseshit melvin has
been putting out.

Carrol