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An Open Letter to President Obama

Last Summer, I had the privilege of attending the wedding of two dear friends. Theirs is a beautiful story. They met in Boston while in law school and medical school. They have supported each other through thick, thin, good, bad, sickness and health. They are one of those couples you want to spend time with in the hopes that something rubs off. The love and respect they have for each other is apparent and enviable. They are bright, generous, successful, socially responsible and gay.

Their wedding was presided over by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in his chambers at Los Angeles City Hall. It was a moving ceremony as they had been together for 12 years prior and were finally able to choose to marry in the way that most of their friends had years before. We celebrated with an intimate dinner later that night. Not a single one of us in attendance was anything but thrilled for Joe and Paul and grateful for the rights they had finally been granted on that day. 

That was July 08. In November 08, Prop 8 was passed and the validity of their marriage, like many others in California, hangs in the balance. Paul shared with me an open letter that he wrote to President Obama. I am reprinting it here and asking you to consider sharing it with whomever you think would be interested or would listen.

Dear President Obama,

I’m writing to you, as a member of a minority group, seeking your opinion regarding your views on “equal protection under the law”.  I am a citizen of the United States, I am gay, and therefore am a member of a minority group. The debate regarding same sex civil marriages has recently hit fever pitch in this country. Recently, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed his state's same-sex marriage bill less than an hour after the legislature approved it. He stated, "I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage." 

 Why is it that Federal Law does not seem to uphold the same high standard of fairness and equal protection under the law? In fact, Federal Law actually pro-actively discriminates against couples that legally have same-sex civil marriages. The fact is that the federal Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The act also specifically denies federal benefits to same-sex couples that have legally state sanctioned civil marriages. The act further dictates that any federal law that applies to married couples does not apply to same-sex couples with legal civil marriages. Furthermore because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act the United States Census Bureau is currently “editing” the 2010 census responses of same-sex couples that married legally in California, Massachusetts, Iowa, Maine, and Connecticut.  Does that sound like the United States of America? When asked to describe their relationships to others in their household, if a respondent refers to a person of the same gender as their "husband/wife" on the 2010 census form, the Census Bureau will automatically assign them to the "unmarried partner" category.  Legally married same-sex couples will be indistinguishable in census data from those who chose "unmarried partner" to describe their relationship.  The federal government does not count us, and apparently according to the government we don’t count.
                 

 As a physician radiation oncologist who treats hundreds of indigent/ un-insured, as well as, insured patients (straight and gay) annually at the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center and the USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, I am particularly outraged at the fact that the federal government continues to discriminate against legal same-sex couples and their children and family members by specifically leaving them out of the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This Act requires covered employers to give eligible employees up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave for their own serious health condition or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Currently, the FMLA does not require employers to provide leave to care for a legally married same-sex spouse. Are we not human? Do we not deserve the same compassion and assurances from our government to which we pay taxes, as other citizens of the United States? Is this consistent with “fairness” and “
equal protection under the law”?
               

How would you feel if this country still denied inter-racial marriages simply because 51% of the population felt they were immoral or un-ethical or unnatural? The state of Hawaii, not the United States of America, allowed your parents to marry in 1961. There was a lack of federal leadership, yet finally in 1968 all state inter-racial bans on marriage were thrown out.  This was a very long time to wait for equality, in fact, as I’m sure you are aware the fight for inter-racial marriage began in 1948, it took 20 years of states arguing, state constitutions being “amended” to allow discrimination (sound familiar), until all the madness was finally overturned by the federal government because they finally did the right thing and gave these citizens equal protection under the law.
             

 As Americans did we not learn from our ugly history?  As an African American growing up in the United States, you of all people, should recognize the need for federal regulation to protect and treat all citizens equally. Why do you feel gays who chose to have a civil marriage, should be treated differently than inter-racial couples? Why does the “equal protection under the law” clause in our constitution not apply to us? If you think homosexuality is a lifestyle choice that can somehow be overcome, and therefore not be given an equal if not protected status, then I ask you to think about this. Suppose someone told you, you could not have federal recognition and rights under marriage, you could not be counted in the census and that your responses to the census will be edited, and you could not benefit from the Family Medical Leave Act, unless you were forced to separate from Michelle, the person you love dearly, and marry another man. If you did that then you would be recognized as married. How unnatural would that feel for you? Get the point? We are born gay, just as you were born black.  No difference. Just as you had no choice in being born black, we had no choice in being born gay.  Furthermore, you certainly can't argue that you "chose" to be heterosexual; it is a ludicrous argument when people say we "choose to be gay".  We certainly have more similarities in our plight for equal protection under the law than differences. Remember, this is not a religious argument, it is a civil rights argument. We don’t want to force religions to accept gay marriage; we just want equal protection under the law. We don’t want to force anyone into saying they believe in gay marriage, everyone has the right to believe what they want.  We want to be treated equally and with dignity;  and not ostracized by our federal government. 
             

President Obama, I am asking you to think about your own experiences growing up in this country as a minority, and how helpful the federal government was in assuring you equal protection and equal rights under the law. My husband and I are law abiding, federal tax paying citizens, who contribute greatly to our community and society at large; we along with millions of other same sex couples are simply asking to be treated equally by our government. Is that too much to ask for in the country for which you are president? I am calling upon you, President Obama, to stand up to the narrow-minded bigotry that has made its way into federal law and to do the right thing. I am calling upon you to forcefully overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act. I am calling upon you to be the agent of change, which you had talked about during your campaign. I am calling upon you do to do what is right and just, and treat all Americans equally. I am calling upon you to help secure passage of the bill now moving through Congress imposing new federal penalties for anti-gay hate crimes, as well as legislation allowing gays to serve in the military.  I am calling upon you to call for vast federal civil rights legislation, outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and granting us a basic umbrella of protections in employment, education, and housing.
            

Like you, I believe that everyone can help contribute to change for the better in our country. Change we can believe in. Five states have legalized same sex civil marriages; several are well on their way. We need a leader to insure equality. It took twenty years for the federal government to put an end to all the anti inter-racial marriage bans in this country, how long we will have to wait?

Sincerely,

Paul G. Pagnini, M.D.
Los Angeles, CA


Paul G. Pagnini, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology
Radiation Oncology Residency Program Director
Keck School of Medicine
University of Southern California
Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital

Seeya. Wouldn't want to beeya.

I have said it before:  Aden Nak rocks my world. Over and over. In my post New Years myopic emotional haze, I missed his farewell to Dubbya. It's worth acknowledging even at this late date, lest we forget what we've been through for 8 long years.

There is no need to wait for history to obscure the details in a battle fog of conflicting punditry and rosy nostalgia. George W. Bush was, is and forever will be a miserable failure, from his ape-gait lumber to his spoiled child certainty to his ghastly inability to refrain from smirking when invoking the memory of the dead. But worse than that, he was an empty-headed creature. A pseudo-folksy front man for a band of Pollyanna armchair generals who see the world as their own personal political rutting ground. Men who thought the domino theory that worked so bloody well in Vietnam was worth trying again - only this time in reverse and in a region far less stable. Not that any of them were around to see the domino theory in action. Like Dick Cheney, they all had other priorities.

Read the rest here:  Clearing Brush by Aden Nak

Impressions of a New Day

Today is the day the countdown calendars zeroed out. Today was the day we saw George W. Bush evacuate the White House in a helicopter. Today was the day when the change we elected to instill came to fruition. Today, the citizens of this country, and of the world, witnessed the inauguration of our 44th president. It is January 20, 2009 and Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America.

My son turned 2 this past Saturday and hasn't stopped whining since. I exaggerate, but suffice to say that this was a morning I would have loved to have to myself, my television and my computer. Instead, I grabbed what I could in between waffles and sippy cups of "apple jooooo", trucks, trains, cars and high dives off the club chairs, to catch whatever fleeting glimpses I could of the coverage as over 1 million people converged on the mall to participate in history. When I left the boy at pre-school, I listened to NPR, hanging on every word. On and off through my 20 minute commute and 30 mintues in the parking lot (unable to peel myself away) I wept. An old friend of mine told me the other day that saying the Pledge of Allegiance has new meaning for her now. I know how she feels.  For the first time in 8 years, I am proud to be American.

Some impressions from today:

First glimpse of Michelle and Barack leaving their hotel. They look happy and relaxed. Michelle looks beautiful. I love the dress.

Scene at the White House where the Bushes greet the Obamas. Suddenly George and Laura look small. Literally and figuratively.

I noticed how great Teddy Kennedy looked in his fedora. Very vital. Only to hear that he later suffered a seizure at the luncheon. I feel badly that this day was marked by that for him. We all know what it meant to him.

Maybe she was suffering from frozen vocal chords, but Aretha Franklin couldn't sing. I haven't checked out her hat, but from the descriptions I've heard, she can't dress either.

The premiere of Air and Simple Gifts, composed for the occasion by John Williams, performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill,and Gabriela Montero was breathtaking.

Dianne Feinstein's voice was quivering, I am sure not because she was nervous but because she was so damn excited that this day had finally arrived.

Bush was booed when he took the stage. Someone told me a whole lot of people were audibly singning, "Nah nah nah nah, hey, hey, hey goodbye". That's got to be a historical first and certainly a hysterical one.

Cheney turns up in a wheel chair? Brian Williams said he resembles Dr. Strangelove. If you were Dick Cheney, wouldn't you do whatever it took...steroids...morphine...to STAND UP?!

Obama's speech was more pointedly anti-Bush than I expected. He spoke effortlessly and powerfully, assuming the role of both our leader and our voice.

Tonight when the kids are asleep, I will crawl in bed and TiVo through the events, savoring a day we will not likely forget for generations. Let's hope Obama's presidency matches his inauguration in heart, soul and the spirit of an America we can be part of and proud of.

Not quite recovered.

I think I am in an election-induced coma. Just saying...

Make it stop!

Found myself emailing the following to my friend, Darryl tonight. 

Is there something someone can do to stop Sarah Palin from laying the foundation for a future political career of national significance? There's talk of her succeeding Ted Stevens and becoming the new GOP party leader. I don't know whether to be horrified or relieved that that's the best they can come up with. Is she a real threat? Hopefully we can bask in the glory of 8 Obama years and he will be able to turn this mess of a country around enough to preclude the possibility of an American First Dude. What a supreme embarrassment that would be, huh?

He assured me that she will be a force to be reckoned with to some extent. I am afraid he is right. 

You all know I have serious issues with the Bush administration and I have clearly spent far too many hours ranting about Sarah Palin and what her selection said about the McCain campaign. And there's that thing I have about never having slept with a Republican (an ordinance not likely to be repealed). However, I would welcome a healthy debate. An intelligent dialogue about the finer points of constitutional law and it's relevance in the increasingly fractured social structure of the  21st century. A well-reasoned argument about how best to handle our responsibilities to both the citizens of our country, the world and the planet we inhabit. 

What we consistently get from the new millennium Republicans are caricatures dispensing circuitous jargon based on insular agenda and the radical Right evangelicals’ misguided mission that seems to have a permanent chokehold on the party. Give me a Republican who clearly sees that the "real America" is found everywhere — not just in rural, white, Christian, conservative parts, but in Harlem and East LA and in the Castro District. A man or woman who we would be proud to present to the rest of the world as our representative.

It's the lack of decorum and statesmanship that is most insidious. It is nice to imagine that the next century will bring a liberal dynasty in which equal rights pervade, our citizens are cared for and fed and we are in good standing in the global community. But if this is indeed a fantasy, let's all hope that the GOP takes advantage of their opportunity to reinvent themselves and comes up with a better offering than Sarah Palin.

Tectonic Plates are Shifting

Little time to write this morning. I am reading a smattering of news from across the world. I am intrigued and tickled by Carla Bruni's cricitcism of Brulesconi as reported by the London Times. I can't decide if she is just naïve and about to get a spanking from her husband, or has incredibly big balls. Maybe it's a little of both.  

The thing I came across that's stretching my cranium this morning is a commentary posted on CNN.com by former senator Bill Frist, who was undeniably a major participant in the supreme arrogance displayed by the Republican party in the last 8 years. It seems as though he has been humbled by the recent election and has chosen to speak out about it. I am skeptical — as I always am when I actually agree with a Repbulican — but his words seem genuine and I am happy to read them. A shout out to his Princeton students who seem to have schooled their teacher.

Bill Frist’s CNN.com Commentary

Get the Nak

Once again, Aden Nak rants perfectly on some fundamental issues with the American government as it stands today. He articulates something which has been bugging me for 8 years about the Bush administration. In my mind, it has to do with a certain arrogance — like a parent saying, "because I said so." The Valerie Plame episode is a prime example of Bush & Co. behaving as if they are above the law, answering solely to themselves and each other. Somehow they seem to have gotten away with so much on this premise. And sacrificed the health of our nation and our good standing in the world community. With a little history lesson and a lot of outrage, Nak brings it into focus. 

Laws, Not Men  (from ph33r and loathing by Aden Nak)

Make sure to read the comments for clarity on his facts.

The Legacy of a Revolution

On the eve of the 2008 Presidential Election, I am struck by the magnitude of what has occurred over the last year. I dare say that if for no other reason (and of course there are plenty) than the way he has run his campaign, Barack Obama deserves to be president. 

From the moment he announced his candidacy, he has rolled out a comprehensive and inclusive program in which millions of people were touched, moved, inspired and changed. This could only be conceived of, organized, administrated and accomplished by someone who not only understands the people he is asking to represent, but who understands how, when and where to speak to them. I am a diehard Clinton fan. I was thrilled and inspired by his candidacy and then 8 years of his presidency. But this is something different. Times have changed and Obama is right there — relevant, accessible and connected. 

As an art director who specializes in identity and strategic brand development and implementation, I have a deep appreciation of the Obama brand, if you will. Starting with the man, his convictions, his policies, his family, his credentials and moving to his speeches, his voice, his logo, his slogan, his Web site, his eblasts, his texts, his iPhone app, there is a seamless, rock-solid message. This consistent and persistent expression of his vision is powerful and reflects his authenticity and clarity of purpose. Of course it is the content of the message that ultimately I am voting for, but the delivery of the message is really his legacy. It is Obama who has changed the way we do politics in this country forever. After witnessing what he and his team have created in the course of his campaign, we can feel confident in his ability to lead our country. In fact, it would be a privilege to finally be in his capable hands.

About to post this, I came across a piece in today's New York Times by Adam Nagourney. Apparently I am not alone in my thoughts. 

Sea of Change in Politics After Race for President 

Swing to the Left

Michael Tomasky in the Guardian asserts that liberals can stop worrying about the GOP's attempts to swing the swing vote to McCain for 3 reasons:

1. The quick and strategic response to each attack by the Obama campaign

2. The priority people place on the economic crisis

3. Trust and the perception of liberal v. conservative

It's succinct and excellent. I want to believe he's right.

Liberal paranoiacs, breathe easy: the swift-boating of Obama isn't working

Hi Ohio

From The Nation - posted by Ari Melber, Oct. 30, 2008:

Totally Awesome Obama Ohio Video Hits YouTube

You know this whole thing could still come down to Ohio.

The presidential race was so close last time, in fact, that the margin averaged out to just nine votes per precinct across the Buckeye state. That's one of the motivating points in a new GOTV video on YouTube, which Obama's aides uploaded on Thursday night, appealing for more volunteers in the homestretch.

The feature starts with footage from Obama's recent address to a statewide meeting for organizers, and then dashes through images of Ohio scenery and hard-working volunteers. Like other Obama GOTV messages, the video closes by pressing supporters to remember that victory would be enthralling, but defeat is always possible. In other words, Don't Let Up.