Chez Robert Giron

I am absolutely thrilled and thankful to President Obama who has spoken up for the rights of Americans who by our Constitution should be granted the same rights as other citizens of the USA.

The point that so many Americans fail to realize is that civil rights must not be governed from a religious base, for to do that would put us back when not only the USA but many European countries endorsed and in fact justified the enslavement of Africans from a Christian base.

Imagine if we still had slavery today and all Americans had to vote whether to grant Africans and Americans of African descent the right to full citizenship in this country. Think about this for a few minutes: Who wouldn't like to have a personal slave to clean, cook, and do whatever needed to be done and his/her payment would only be minimum pay if any, some food to eat, and a place to sleep--and no work benefits whatsoever? Let's not give major corporations this option because I am sure many would jump on this option if there were not laws outlawing such injustices.

I was disgusted to read in the Washington Post today of local African Americans who say they cannot support a President who speaks out for the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender Americans yet they themselves have benefited from the Civil Rights Movement which granted them equal rights--this is the same principle that all Americans must be respected and granted equal protection by the Constitution that President Obama is evoking and recognizing. Thank God he has the courage to speak the truth and hopefully end bigotry that seems to be clothed in religious hypocrisy.

I am a very spiritual person who was raised Roman Catholic but I cannot endorse the double standard and premise that some Americans must not receive the same protection of the Law of the USA. I too have been discriminated against even in the court of law because of who I am and recently specifically by the same community of Washington, DC that screams for equal justice and protection by the law yet who have been adamant about discriminating against individuals because of whom they choose to love and live with.

Not too long ago, I had a student in my class at Montgomery College-Takoma Park/Silver Spring state after a fellow student gave a presentation about gays that if "[he] knew his daughter were a lesbian [he] would kill her." This very student who admitted to being a Christian had the audacity to make this statement public about his own flesh and blood--what would happen to others who are not his own flesh and blood?

Murder is murder and those who use religion to justify discrimination or hostility against anyone are false in my opinion. My reply to my student would be: Should God then do the same to you as you do to others?

Does the principle: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
have any religious / spiritual / legal / cultural truth?

So thank you, President Obama, for setting aside politics and speaking up for the equal protection of all Americans regardless of whom they might love.