President Barack Obama’s Same-Sex Marriage And ObamaCare Legacy Is Cemented In The Annals Of History

The Republican National Committee acknowledged that the Grand Ole’ Party (GOP) is at risk, due to a generational split on gay rights. In an autopsy report on what went wrong during the 2012 Presidential Election, the GOP concedes this:

For the GOP to appeal to younger voters, we do not have to agree on every issue, but we do need to make sure young people do not see the Party as totally intolerant of alternative points of view. Already, there is a generational difference within the conservative movement about issues involving the treatment and the rights of gays — and for many younger voters, these issues are a gateway into whether the Party is a place they want to be.

If our Party is not welcoming and inclusive, young people and increasingly other voters will continue to tune us out.

A stunning turn of events unfolded from June 21 to June 27, 2015, for President Barack Obama who has been locked in a hostile battle with Republicans, but this week it was Republicans who helped secure major victories for the president, including a bipartisan deal on trade with Chief Justice John Roberts, a Bush appointee, upholding ObamaCare for the second time, and the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

Where were you during the week that cemented President Barack Obama’s legacy of ObamaCare and same-sex marriage?

All of this was tempered by a hate crime that claimed nine lives in the Charleston Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, including its leader, Reverend Clementa Pinckney. The hate crime traces back to Charleston, South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union on December 29, 1860 because south Carolinians didn’t want the North or anyone telling them they could not have slaves. The White population in South Carolina strongly supported the institution of slavery long before the first shots were fired in Charleston, which started the Civil War.

The Supreme Court has ruled and whether we agree or not, we have to respect the decision. ObamaCare is not going away. Same-sex marriage is not going away. – Teri Helenese.

Fast forward to 2015, and the Confederate flag is still flying high as a symbol of pride and heritage. Then lay psychology over that 155 plus years of symbolism, pride, and heritage, and we come up with racist, coward, and terrorist thugs like Dylann Roof. It’s way past time to make peace with the past and breakup with the Confederate flag. Black, White, and in-between. It’s killing us all. Literally and figuratively. There is no more doubt. The South Carolina Legislature will take it down and resign it to museums, where it should be.

In a rare moment, President Obama broke into song and brought it home during Reverend Clementa Pinckney’s eulogy that was truly a poignant capture of “Amazing Grace,” race in America, and a call for unity in the battles not yet won. What an electrifying and deeply passionate and historical moment in the church where the resident invited us along on his search for grace, wisdom, and freedom. The organ started playing, mourners launched to their feet in a Holy Ghost dance, and ‘can I get an Amen’ could be heard through and through, as the president named each victim one by one and energized the church.

I was glued to the TV and watched as President Obama embraced gospel, the baroque, heartfelt lyrics, joy and sorrow. His reverend in chief political speech offered a melting pot of experiences through life’s trials and triumphs, and he did so across genres, boundaries, and generations. I am still in a joyful and self-reflective groove.

The week of June 21, 2015 was President Obama’s best week ever. The Supreme Court has ruled and whether we agree or not, we have to respect the decision. ObamaCare is not going away. Same-sex marriage is not going away. If we are reading these lines, and we find ourselves lost and conflicted about President Obama’s same-sex and ObamaCare legacies, it is keenly important that we take a diversity class through our employer’s employee assistance program (EAP). EAP’s counseling services are designed to help us negotiate and navigate significant life problems that are holding us back. If we are struggling with these legacies, it is also recommended that we read, internalize, heed, and take a page out of US Senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker’s advice:

Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; before you tell me how much you love your God, show me in how much you love all His children; before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I’m not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how you chose to live and give.

Feature Image: Pooja Mandagere, left, and Natalie Thompson outside the Supreme Court on Friday after it ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. 

Image Credit: The New York Times.