The Outlook of Human Equality in a Small Mississippi Town
Traveling south for 2008's first Presidential Debate, I arrived in the small town of Oxford, Mississippi earlier this week. Never having been to Mississippi before, I found this quaint southern town to be just what I imagined of the American South. Yesterday I went on a run around town and explored this perfect image of Old Dixie. Old Glory flies from every corner of the downtown square and the hospitality of the local residents rivals any that I have felt in a long time. The campus showed the same patriotism and pride. Everyone I passed had a smile on their face and offered a cordial "hello"; if you appeared lost, residents were only too happy to point you in the right direction.
As a gay man, I hate the existence of stereotypes but what I hate more is my realization that I held a stereotype of what I would experience in the Deep South. I did not find Confederate flags stretched across the porches of homes or plastered across 4x4s on the streets of this Mississippi town. I did not see a segregation of citizens on any level. Instead, I found front yards peppered with Obama or McCain signs. I found pride in the University of Mississippi hanging from the many homes with Ole Miss flags. I feel the excitement of students, faculty and residents as their town prepares to become a part of history.
Shortly after arriving I participated in a town hall meeting sponsored by the Gay Straight Alliance on campus. In addition to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the panel included members from six other LGBT rights organizations. After two hours of discussion and questions from the audience, I left with a sense of hope. Hope not only for Ole Miss and the state of Mississippi, but for American society. I felt a passion and a desire for equality for all citizens--regardless of sex, religion, ethnic background or sexual orientation.
Since coming out as a gay man I have had the continual support of my family and friends. What I find incredible is the support I have found from people across our great nation who I do not know. These individuals are as unique and diverse as our nation but want to stand together as one and fight as an army against this hateful and detrimental law. My visit to Oxford has shown me that there is hope and support to fight for our cause; to allow open service and prohibit discrimination in our armed forces. Finally, the freedoms we fight so hard and so long for, need to be applied to every American citizen. Especially those who risk their lives to secure those freedoms that they themselves are denied.
I am anxiously awaiting the presidential debate. As I was running around the Ole Miss campus, I passed the Gertrude C. Ford Center where the debate will be held. It struck me that soon I would be a witness to history and listening to our next president, whether McCain or Obama. I never dreamed I would have a first-hand view of our nation's future being shaped. I look forward to hearing the words and promises of our next commander in chief. I have hope and faith that the next administration will take a stand to end discrimination against the brave men and women who are willing, able and ready to serve and defend our nation. I hope that during the tenure of our next administration our Congress and our society will envelop the attitude and outlook of human equality that I have witnessed in this small Mississippi town and recognize the value of everyone American citizen.
09-26-08 By Former Army Sergeant Darren Manzella |
2 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.koal on June 12, 2009 at 04.27 am
Obama invited McCain to this year’s White House Super Bowl party. McCain declined the invite. It would have been a chance for politicians from both sides of the aisle the get together with small talk and throw in some real important issues facing the country. McCain doesn’t want to take a leadership role in the GOP-Republican Party - http://www.ebook-search-queen.com/ebook/the/the+real+mccain.all.html . The guy doesn’t know how to lead. He should thank his lucky stars each day that he was born the son of an admiral.
STeveMD2 in Annapolis, MD on October 01, 2008 at 10.57 pm
I suspect that Sergeant Darren Manzella does what lots of us do - assume the south is still fighting the civil war, and ‘gay’ is their new ‘Nword’, since it is no longer fashionable to discriminate against blacks, or I might add Jews as well.
What really is happening is a generational change. As you break down the terrorist churches imposition of the closet, and youth discover they have friends who are gay, the hate lessons of right wing churches and southern society disappear. And the hypocrites are exposed.
DADT is just another closet, a diabolical scheme cooked up by those who corrupt the very meaning of God, to protect their own prejudices and ignorances.
But with 75% of soldiers having no objection to living and serving, and yes putting their lives on the line with gay people, DADT is bound to end. It will be for the betterment of our nation’s soul, and for the betterment of our brave military volunteers in a time of worldwide religious and greed based turmoil.
And make no mistake about it, as gays come out in the military, more and more of the southern conservative small town soldiers who make up a big percentage of the military, will come to see the hypocrisy and hatreds and lies of their root culture. And they will realize that they are fighting not just for our nations security, but for our nation’s soul as well
And another great barrier to the acceptance of gay people in our society, in and out of the military, will end.
And this is what the battle is about.
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