A Minority President; One Time phenomenon?
I went a week without writing, and then wrote yesterday. That’s because it was National Coming Out Day, and I felt a need to share my emotions with folks. (confession off the bat, its not today yet, its last night, and I’ve been working all day and just finished eating dinner with my boyfriend and best friend. It was a NCOD dinner of sorts, they tried a new recipe, I made Spanish Rice and drank wine.) The two of them are flirting in the kitchen, the downside to dating a beautiful man, and being best friends with a gay man trapped in the body of a black woman.
I began reading a book while waiting for my Arroz to “pop”, The Kennedys; America’s Emerald Kings, and listening to my Carol King box set of CDs. I need to point out now, that I was trying like mad earlier today to convince someone that I was NOT the stereotypical gay man.
The point I promise is coming.
The book begins by explaining why its different that the others that have been written about the Kennedys. It is the first book apparently that discusses how important it was to the Kennedy Family to maintain their Irish-Catholic heritage, and how much of a barrier it was to them.
It made me think a lot. I have made no surprise that someday I intend to run for president. I at least have said clearly that I have no intention of living my life for much longer without running for some office somewhere. I had this conversation with my boyfriend yesterday (the realy yesterday not the today yesterday, so Tuesday) about whether or not he ever thought he would marry into a political situation, let alone be an activist himself. (We finally settled on him cooking for E-day volunteers, for this cycle. We’ll see if I manage to now screw it up before 2008, before discussing what he will do then.)
They stand before me bickering now (Michelle and Rudy) about who’s turn it is to make cookies lumps on the baking sheet.
The Kennedys had a really tough time, apparently getting elected in this country, as Irishmen, and as Catholics. JFK (I make the sign of the cross) was the first ever minority to be elected president, and to this day the last. He was both the descendant of immigrants (yes we all are, but he was obviously one, immigrant after the terrorism of Columbus, not before or during) as well as a Religious minority.
“Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that immigrants were America” Historian Oscar Handlin, as quoted by John F. Kennedy in A Nation of Immigrants
New York governor Al smith, known for his progressive programs aimed at helping the city’s immigrants ascend into the middle class, ran for president in 1928. Mary Kelly hoped the old bigotry would be set aside, allowing a well-qualified Catholic to be elected to the highest office in the land. Instead, smith became mired in a Ku Klux Klan-incited effort to scare self-respecting Americans from voting for a “papist,” candidate who supposedly owed his allegiance to the “anti-Christ in Rome” and not his native land.
According to the book, Mary Kelly never voted again. The Kennedys thought about this, when their son/brother/cousin ran for President in 1960.
On the heels of NCOD when I blogged about the blessings of my friends, and family, community of supporters, all who have supported me in being an openly gay man, I am forced to wonder…
I am Catholic, and, though not officially recognized as Catholic by the church, wonder if I could be elected as President.
But the bigger question is this… I am Chicano, Catholic, queer, and not quiet about any of that. What is the likelihood I’ll ever be elected to the State House of Representatives, let alone the Presidency?
Can this country ever handle a gay man as president, no matter how much football I watch (there’s your proof Buddy, I said it to everyone it MUST be true ;-) ?)
Could I get elected, with a partner (even if he is the traditional first-lady baking cookies and everything)?
Could I get elected as a Catholic today? I mean let’s think honestly about this, john Kerry didn’t pull it off… but maybe that was because he wasn’t a very good candidate…
All I know is, I pray to God that I lose my elections because of my political stance, if I have to lose them at all. Not because I have sex with, and fall in love with, men. I hope it is because I believe strongly in social programs, and want to make life better for all people in the world, and not because I do that as a part of my Calling from God being Catholic. I hope it is because, I believe strongly in supporting the networks and safety nets for People of Color, not because I have brown-ish skin, and have the last name Martinez.
I make good arroz, I have a knack for dancing and I easily drop to my knees to make the sign of the cross, at any glimpse of trouble and pain. But those things don’t make me any weaker than an Atheist who tears into a hot dog during a baseball game, while ignoring the needs of his neighbors who look differently than him. It makes me stronger, because I have multiple cultures, communities, and Santos on whom to fall back…
I began reading a book while waiting for my Arroz to “pop”, The Kennedys; America’s Emerald Kings, and listening to my Carol King box set of CDs. I need to point out now, that I was trying like mad earlier today to convince someone that I was NOT the stereotypical gay man.
The point I promise is coming.
The book begins by explaining why its different that the others that have been written about the Kennedys. It is the first book apparently that discusses how important it was to the Kennedy Family to maintain their Irish-Catholic heritage, and how much of a barrier it was to them.
It made me think a lot. I have made no surprise that someday I intend to run for president. I at least have said clearly that I have no intention of living my life for much longer without running for some office somewhere. I had this conversation with my boyfriend yesterday (the realy yesterday not the today yesterday, so Tuesday) about whether or not he ever thought he would marry into a political situation, let alone be an activist himself. (We finally settled on him cooking for E-day volunteers, for this cycle. We’ll see if I manage to now screw it up before 2008, before discussing what he will do then.)
They stand before me bickering now (Michelle and Rudy) about who’s turn it is to make cookies lumps on the baking sheet.
The Kennedys had a really tough time, apparently getting elected in this country, as Irishmen, and as Catholics. JFK (I make the sign of the cross) was the first ever minority to be elected president, and to this day the last. He was both the descendant of immigrants (yes we all are, but he was obviously one, immigrant after the terrorism of Columbus, not before or during) as well as a Religious minority.
“Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that immigrants were America” Historian Oscar Handlin, as quoted by John F. Kennedy in A Nation of Immigrants
New York governor Al smith, known for his progressive programs aimed at helping the city’s immigrants ascend into the middle class, ran for president in 1928. Mary Kelly hoped the old bigotry would be set aside, allowing a well-qualified Catholic to be elected to the highest office in the land. Instead, smith became mired in a Ku Klux Klan-incited effort to scare self-respecting Americans from voting for a “papist,” candidate who supposedly owed his allegiance to the “anti-Christ in Rome” and not his native land.
According to the book, Mary Kelly never voted again. The Kennedys thought about this, when their son/brother/cousin ran for President in 1960.
On the heels of NCOD when I blogged about the blessings of my friends, and family, community of supporters, all who have supported me in being an openly gay man, I am forced to wonder…
I am Catholic, and, though not officially recognized as Catholic by the church, wonder if I could be elected as President.
But the bigger question is this… I am Chicano, Catholic, queer, and not quiet about any of that. What is the likelihood I’ll ever be elected to the State House of Representatives, let alone the Presidency?
Can this country ever handle a gay man as president, no matter how much football I watch (there’s your proof Buddy, I said it to everyone it MUST be true ;-) ?)
Could I get elected, with a partner (even if he is the traditional first-lady baking cookies and everything)?
Could I get elected as a Catholic today? I mean let’s think honestly about this, john Kerry didn’t pull it off… but maybe that was because he wasn’t a very good candidate…
All I know is, I pray to God that I lose my elections because of my political stance, if I have to lose them at all. Not because I have sex with, and fall in love with, men. I hope it is because I believe strongly in social programs, and want to make life better for all people in the world, and not because I do that as a part of my Calling from God being Catholic. I hope it is because, I believe strongly in supporting the networks and safety nets for People of Color, not because I have brown-ish skin, and have the last name Martinez.
I make good arroz, I have a knack for dancing and I easily drop to my knees to make the sign of the cross, at any glimpse of trouble and pain. But those things don’t make me any weaker than an Atheist who tears into a hot dog during a baseball game, while ignoring the needs of his neighbors who look differently than him. It makes me stronger, because I have multiple cultures, communities, and Santos on whom to fall back…
posted by Marshall at 9:56 AM
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