Atheist Revolution: A Bigot Among Democrats: Sen. Díaz

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

A Bigot Among Democrats: Sen. Díaz

The Republican Party has been having a difficult time since...well, at least since Sen. McCain listened to those who said he should choose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Did they hit rock bottom with calls to "teabag the White House," or can they sink even lower? I suppose time will tell. One thing is clear, however, just because the GOP is no longer viable does not mean the Democratic Party is not going to make mistakes.

It is almost as if some Democrats are jealous that the Republicans have become a sectarian party, inextricibly linked to fundamentalist Christianity. Take New York State Senator Rubén Díaz, for example, now organizing a rally to oppose marriage equality. As Pam Spaulding reminds us:

This is a perfect example of why the Democratic party needs to check itself -- just because someone has a (D) behind their name does not mean they hold Dem principles, or even engage in rational thought -- a lack of understanding of the separation of church and state should at least be a baseline for god's sake.

Díaz, also a Pentecostal minister, has called for Gov. Paterson's removal for supporting marriage equality. And yet, as Pam points out, Díaz is essentially untouchable because his party would rather have numbers than real progressives. By way of compromise, they allow him to engage in bigotry.