The coming storm
| By Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign - Apr 8, 2009 12:33:35 AM PT |
| Also listed in: Courage Campaign Staff |
How do you get voters in a supposedly tolerant state like California to vote to take away right from people without making yourself look like a hateful bigot in the process? Simple - you cast /yourself/ as a victim of hate, even though you're the one trying to take rights away from people.
One of the most powerful weapons in the Yes on Prop 8 campaign's arsenal was the argument that same-sex marriage rights would somehow limit religious or parental freedoms. The No on 8 campaign never effectively countered this, and this conservative victimology helped insulate Prop 8 supporters from being called to account for their bigotry.
As the marriage equality movement racks up victory after victory - Iowa, Vermont, and soon New Hampshire - the opponents of equal rights are plotting their counterattack. The National Organization for Marriage is running this creepy ad shown at right arguing that a "storm" is coming - that the "rights" of religious people and parents to teach hate and inequality are under attack by those damn liberals who want to turn all your children gay.
Their arguments are based on lies, and always have been - marriage equality in California wouldn't have changed how preachers preach or how teachers teach, and Vermont's new marriage law makes clear that religious freedom is still respected.
But these arguments are also powerful. Conservative victimology has been one of the *key* methods by which Prop 8 supporters have escaped responsibility for their actions or even acknowledging what Prop 8 was - an attack on the legal equality of thousands of Californians merely for their sexual orientation. When framed this way the Yes on 8 position becomes almost unassailable, immune to criticism. "They're just protecting their freedoms," we're supposed to think, and not be allowed to ask them to face the realities of what they have done, not be allowed to criticize them for voting to take away equal rights and destroy existing marriages, and not be allowed to act with our own conscience by demanding equal rights for everyone. Each of those acts is cast as an aggressive and hurtful act, where the oppressed are cast as oppressors.
Pam Spaulding puts it well:
Jeremy at Good As You has an excellent video response:
We're winning the battle for equal rights. But to ensure that equal rights prevail across the nation - and here in California - we have to push back against these lies. That's why we sent our members the following email today asking them to help build the movement that can counteract the dishonesty of our opponents and ensure that everyone has equal rights in America.
Below is the email we sent today:
---------------------------------
Dear Robert,
Marriage equality is gaining momentum across America.
On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court -- by a unanimous ruling -- made marriage equality the law of the land. Then the Vermont legislature overturned their Governor's veto of a marriage equality bill by a two-thirds margin on Tuesday.
And now the religious right is responding with a national TV ad filled with fear about a same-sex marriage "storm" gathering across the country.
This morning, the "National Organization for Marriage" launched a disturbing ad using actors to push lies claiming that marriage equalty threatens personal freedoms. The ad is going up on the airwaves across America -- eight times a day in California -- as NOM seeks to build what they are calling a "rainbow coalition" against equality.
We need your help to fight back right now against this deplorable ad. With many legal experts expecting the California Supreme Court to uphold Prop 8, our only option will be to place an initiative on the ballot to restore marriage equality. To repeal Prop 8, we will need to build a grassroots army for change in every county of California.
In response, the Dolby Family is challenging our community to raise $25,000 as a matching grant to fund Camp Courage trainings for marriage equality activists.
Can you help us respond to these lies and distortions by turning fear into hope? Watch this despicable TV ad now and then contribute to support more Camp Courage trainings by helping us meet this generous $25,000 matching grant from the Dolby Family -- thus doubling their amazing donation:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/TurnFearIntoHope
While NOM's TV ad uses actors to portray false victims, Camp Courage is mobilizing real people to speak from their heart, door-to-door across California.
Modeled on the "Camp Obama" training events that helped propel President Obama into the White House, Camp Courage uses the "Story of Self" to transform personal experiences -- each participant's unique inspiration for supporting marriage equality -- into compelling and authentic narratives that can persuade undecided voters.
Here's what Sara P., a participant, said about Camp Courage Los Angeles:
"At any time throughout the day I could look around the room and see a smile on someone's face, a tear running down their cheek, and the wheels turning in their head. Every moment, you could look to your left and look to your right and know that you were sitting next to a fellow soldier, someone that will be, or is, in the trenches with you fighting in the name of justice. How powerful is that?"
To build a movement to push back on the right-wing's lies and fear-mongering, we need to train and empower more people like Sara. These transformative trainings have been held in L.A. and Fresno and now San Diego and the Bay Area are next. Meanwhile, we've also mobilized grassroots organizers to launch 23 Equality Teams and 13 canvass events across California, with teams going door-to-door to talk directly to voters.
Please turn fear into hope. Watch this TV ad right now and then do what you can to help us continue to build an army for marriage equality. Your contribution will help us double the Dolby Family's amazing donation and expand Camp Courage into more locations:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/TurnFearIntoHope
We've made history in Iowa and Vermont. Now let's fight the right to make marriage equality a reality again in California.
Rick Jacobs
Chair, Courage Campaign
One of the most powerful weapons in the Yes on Prop 8 campaign's arsenal was the argument that same-sex marriage rights would somehow limit religious or parental freedoms. The No on 8 campaign never effectively countered this, and this conservative victimology helped insulate Prop 8 supporters from being called to account for their bigotry.
As the marriage equality movement racks up victory after victory - Iowa, Vermont, and soon New Hampshire - the opponents of equal rights are plotting their counterattack. The National Organization for Marriage is running this creepy ad shown at right arguing that a "storm" is coming - that the "rights" of religious people and parents to teach hate and inequality are under attack by those damn liberals who want to turn all your children gay.
Their arguments are based on lies, and always have been - marriage equality in California wouldn't have changed how preachers preach or how teachers teach, and Vermont's new marriage law makes clear that religious freedom is still respected.
But these arguments are also powerful. Conservative victimology has been one of the *key* methods by which Prop 8 supporters have escaped responsibility for their actions or even acknowledging what Prop 8 was - an attack on the legal equality of thousands of Californians merely for their sexual orientation. When framed this way the Yes on 8 position becomes almost unassailable, immune to criticism. "They're just protecting their freedoms," we're supposed to think, and not be allowed to ask them to face the realities of what they have done, not be allowed to criticize them for voting to take away equal rights and destroy existing marriages, and not be allowed to act with our own conscience by demanding equal rights for everyone. Each of those acts is cast as an aggressive and hurtful act, where the oppressed are cast as oppressors.
Pam Spaulding puts it well:
These folks have nothing left in the tool box after the Iowa ruling decimated the excuse that religious opposition should govern civil law. So now the folks at the National Organization for Marriage have decided to send out e-blasts and a new video that uses a multi-racial set of actors to portray the aggrieved heterosexuals affected by same-sex couples being allowed to marry.
You might laugh at these fundnuts, but they are crafty, and don't mind continuing to promote outright lies and deception.
Jeremy at Good As You has an excellent video response:
We're winning the battle for equal rights. But to ensure that equal rights prevail across the nation - and here in California - we have to push back against these lies. That's why we sent our members the following email today asking them to help build the movement that can counteract the dishonesty of our opponents and ensure that everyone has equal rights in America.
Below is the email we sent today:
---------------------------------
Dear Robert,
Marriage equality is gaining momentum across America.On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court -- by a unanimous ruling -- made marriage equality the law of the land. Then the Vermont legislature overturned their Governor's veto of a marriage equality bill by a two-thirds margin on Tuesday.
And now the religious right is responding with a national TV ad filled with fear about a same-sex marriage "storm" gathering across the country.
This morning, the "National Organization for Marriage" launched a disturbing ad using actors to push lies claiming that marriage equalty threatens personal freedoms. The ad is going up on the airwaves across America -- eight times a day in California -- as NOM seeks to build what they are calling a "rainbow coalition" against equality.
We need your help to fight back right now against this deplorable ad. With many legal experts expecting the California Supreme Court to uphold Prop 8, our only option will be to place an initiative on the ballot to restore marriage equality. To repeal Prop 8, we will need to build a grassroots army for change in every county of California.
In response, the Dolby Family is challenging our community to raise $25,000 as a matching grant to fund Camp Courage trainings for marriage equality activists.
Can you help us respond to these lies and distortions by turning fear into hope? Watch this despicable TV ad now and then contribute to support more Camp Courage trainings by helping us meet this generous $25,000 matching grant from the Dolby Family -- thus doubling their amazing donation:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/TurnFearIntoHope
While NOM's TV ad uses actors to portray false victims, Camp Courage is mobilizing real people to speak from their heart, door-to-door across California.
Modeled on the "Camp Obama" training events that helped propel President Obama into the White House, Camp Courage uses the "Story of Self" to transform personal experiences -- each participant's unique inspiration for supporting marriage equality -- into compelling and authentic narratives that can persuade undecided voters.
Here's what Sara P., a participant, said about Camp Courage Los Angeles:
"At any time throughout the day I could look around the room and see a smile on someone's face, a tear running down their cheek, and the wheels turning in their head. Every moment, you could look to your left and look to your right and know that you were sitting next to a fellow soldier, someone that will be, or is, in the trenches with you fighting in the name of justice. How powerful is that?"
To build a movement to push back on the right-wing's lies and fear-mongering, we need to train and empower more people like Sara. These transformative trainings have been held in L.A. and Fresno and now San Diego and the Bay Area are next. Meanwhile, we've also mobilized grassroots organizers to launch 23 Equality Teams and 13 canvass events across California, with teams going door-to-door to talk directly to voters.
Please turn fear into hope. Watch this TV ad right now and then do what you can to help us continue to build an army for marriage equality. Your contribution will help us double the Dolby Family's amazing donation and expand Camp Courage into more locations:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/TurnFearIntoHope
We've made history in Iowa and Vermont. Now let's fight the right to make marriage equality a reality again in California.
Rick Jacobs
Chair, Courage Campaign
Comments are closed for this post.
I'm sure we've all read George Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant"? If you haven't, you should...
Link
The problem in my opinion with a point by point rebuttal of this video is that we risk reinforcing the interpretive frame of the other side.
Here's an example... Republicans have made great political hay by speaking about taxes as a burden or form of social illness... Democrats have in the past bought into this by offering their own competing "tax relief" plans... Obama, however, now speaks of taxes as an investment in our future ... e.g. "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act"... geez... I think he must have read Lakoff's book!
So my question is, how do we reframe the issue so that we can speak about it in a way that doesn't reinforce the menacing storm cloud, sky is falling frame?
Instead of saying "They're lying! How grossly unfair!" Duh... of course they're lying... were we expecting them to be truthful? Wah!!!
How about something like, "Americans are no longer fooled by the radical religious right crying wolf that the sky is falling because of the imagined threat posed by LGBT citizens. Instead, they're concerned about more important issues like rebuilding our economy, our schools and our national infrastructure. Fair-minded Americans understand that the country benefits when all Americans are able to participate fully in the civic and social life of our great nation. LGBT people suffer no less from the economic insecurities buffeting all Americans during the ongoing economic turmoil. In fact, same-gender couples are at greater risk because they don't have access to the same sorts of benefits and protections as mixed-gender couples..."
yada yada yada... just my two cents...