Today in class I asked my students to separate. Those who supported Bush's call for a ban on gay marriage to go to one side of the class, those who thought he was stepping out of line to go to the other side of class. Then, after the two groups separated (blessedly there were only about 4 or 5 who agreed with him out of 25) I told the group that agreed with Bush, that gay marriage should be banned, that they would receive an "F" in my class at the end of the semester no matter how hard they tried, no matter how good their essays were.

They were shocked at first, but I continued my ploy further, being very serious about it. The anti-Bush side of the classroom cheered for their ability to earn whatever grade they would get, to have the possibility to live up to their potential in the class. Then the "F" group were up in arms. "How can you do this?" one said. They were starting to believe it. Another kid said, "I'll talk to your superiors about this."

I said, "Why can't I do this? I'm the head of this classroom, I can make whatever decisions I want about how I grade you. One of my criteria is that you believe the same things I do. And since you agree with our horribly horrid evil President, then I will fail you. Simple as that. You can come over to the other side of the class and pretend to believe what I believe and get those benefits that these fine folks have, but otherwise, no. If you're not with me, you're against me. And those that are against me get "F's".

I then said, "Isn't that what Bush has just told the whole country? Hasn't he just told an entire group of citizens that they are second class due to some aspect of their personality? That they do not have the same rights that other Americans do simply because of a particular identity group they belong to? Well," I said. "If he can do that in his position of power, then so can I, right?"

It totally blew their minds. They hadn't understood it like that before.

If only people could see how terribly wrong Bush and his administration and people like him are. There are some absolutes in this world, and one of them is that it is wrong to define someone else's freedoms, it is wrong to define marriage as only a union between a man and a woman. Civil or religious, I don't give a fuck. I want my fucking freedom. The freedom I have to marry a woman and either have a wonderful life or to fuck that marriage up to high heaven, I want with a man too. I want the freedom to share my life with whoever the fuck I choose. And I want EITHER relationship to be acknowledge in both the civil union arena AND the religious one, mofo. These moderate heterosexuals are nothing but deterrents to this freedom too. The ones who say, well all in good time. Progress will happen as it will. Bastards! YOU don't have anything at stake, so you have all the damned time in the world! Take a fucking stand for the rights of everyone, not just your own lazy ass self-serving excuses for human beings.

THAT'S America, Mr. Bush. Not your little dictatorship.