It takes two to Tango, and just one to say NO

There is a point in everyone's life when they realize that sometimes grownups say one thing but do something else. Shocking? no, just one of those unavoidable epiphanies of life. I am much more pragmatic and cynical than my younger hirsute self. Having said that, practical does not mean devoid of beliefs and sense of justice.

I have always been a very politically inclined person, I guess you have to be when you have lived almost half of your younger existence in a country that was ruled by a Dictator for 16 years. 1988 was my senior year in high school and also the year of Chile's plebiscite to decide with a Yes or No whether Pinochet could stay for a bunch of more years keeping the "Marxist" at bay. The country was almost evenly divided between those in favor and those who wanted democracy back on the books. My senior class (a small 50-something bunch in a private school), was a pure reflection of the national reality. Lunch breaks would find us arguing why we should vote one way or the other, these discussions would end unequivocally in people not talking to each other and childish epithets thrown around like powdered sugar on this carb unfriendly "Berlín".

  Why I am reminiscing of these days? because both groups eventually turned into these blind cattle-like following fans. Then, people supporting Pinochet could not see any wrongdoing from him or his government, if you supported his removal or questioned the legitimacy of him staying for another 8 years you automatically were a traitor and a child eating communist. On the other side we NO supporters just spewed blind hate towards anything or anyone associated with the government of Pinochet and his persona. If someone pointed out that there were a few positive aspect of the economic uphill of Chile or how allowing private university would create a more educated population, you were labeled a Fascist loving democracy hating Nazi.
A friend of mine posted a note on facebook in relation to Rev. Warren giving the invocation on Inauguration Day that generated some replies from others, this motivated me to go back on memory lane and also start writting in my blog again. One phrase from these replies stuck out to me.

"From the above description this Rick Warren sounds like scum but I doubt Obama chose him to give the invocation for the sake of his homophobic beliefs. For now I urge us all to have some faith in Obama's choices, even if we don't completely agree with them"

Although I am a Catholic Gay Left-Handed Latino (talk about a minority, and other left-handed would agree), I always have had trouble with the word Faith used in a non-religous context. Faith means not asking questions and a blind trust of some idea or entity that works in the spiritual personal realm but in politics and policy-making it just leads to reckless decisions (Hello Bush anyone?) and a sense that you don't need to explain your actions. I don't believe Obama is homophobic or that he plans to send all gay people to Guantamo, but this Warren issue was an unforced error that hurt me as a gay man and as an American. For the secular population this may just be a political move, but understand that half the globe and most Latin America is going to be watching the religious aspect of the ceremony, and what are they going to say? "You know who is giving the "blessing?" it is this "pastor" who by the way, believes gay people are pedophiles, and that anyone who disagrees with him are a bunch "Christophobes". WOW way to set the tone for your goverment and to be a world leader.
I am tired of being the odd family member that is left in the cellar for the official family gatherings, a la Alberto Blest Gana's "El Loco Estero". I am all about inclusion and being the bigger person (and God knows I have fought for it) and waiting for my turn, when is it my time then?