Quote:
|
Originally Posted by highthief
His or her campaign promises and anything covered by the law (campaign financing, criminal record, etc)
|
How do you separate the issues, though? It seems to me that the main justification to not "out" someone in a sensitive area like this is chiefly a plea to emotion. As I said previously, I can understand these things for regular people, who are just living their lives. In a sense, I find your response to be exactly my point. Some areas are ok to look into, in terms of consistency with their campaign promises, but some areas aren't. Every campaign ad I saw during the recent elections had some mention of "family values," "common man" imagery. At the same time, many politicians are fighting to make sure that this "family values," "common man" image is equated, in the minds of their constituency and the general public, with a falacy that they themselves contradict in a
de facto sense. They're playing both sides of the ball, so to speak. I don't think its "right" to assault people with these bogus, homogenized images in the first place - but if you're going to do it, you're claiming that you are perpetuating this image because you stand for it, its your way of life, its just downright the "American" (or other nationality, etc) way...I don't see how its not germane if that is, in fact, a lie. How do you separate some campaign promises out as protected? Its all an emotional appeal.
I don't "like" the idea of forced outings, whether it be sexual orientation/practices, drug/alcohol use, gambling, etc - but I dislike even more the idea that people who do these things - just like a lot of citizens - are perpetuating stereotypes that demonize these practices - using the propaganda and legislative power of their public office. Of course I can see how such disclosures will be painful - I'd hate to have to go through that type of scenario myself - but I don't think I'd really be able to call it a "low blow" if I was speaking out against it on one hand, and practicing it on the other. Long term, such forced realizations on the part of the public might have the benefit of forcing our public/political awareness to be more inclusive.
Guess what? You can be gay...and conservative. You can be a family guy, and use marajuana. You can balance your checkbook, and gamble online. You can work to feed the homeless, and enjoy the company of a paid lady-friend. I'd like to see our ethics and morality claims challenged, and I can't see how the imagery that we allow our politicians to throw in front of us helps to do anything but perpetuate the current demonization of our "outcasts" and "taboo" behaviors.