In case you haven't heard about this story, I'll give you the 30 second elevator version. In 2008 Brendan Eich made a $1,000 donation towards the California ballot initiative Proposition 8. This proposition would ban Gay marriage in the state and actually passed before being reversed in the courts. A week and a half ago this guy, one of Mozilla's original founders, was named CEO and there was an immediate outcry. Eventually the cries built into a crescendo and Eich "resigned."
I really don't know how I'm supposed to feel here. On the one hand I feel like it is a victory for those of us who favor marriage equality, but I'm also not comfortable with the idea that a 6 year old political contribution could force someone from a job in an unrelated field. Make no mistake, I am a vehement supporter of gay rights but I don't think I can support the lefties here. It would be one thing if he came out and made an anti-gay statement as the acting CEO of a company, but all he did was make a contribution to a cause he believes in, and it occurred six years ago. As a blogger with obviously controversial ideas I am terrified.
Clearly I need to be writing under a pseudonym. Maybe I should shut this whole thing down. Maybe I should duct tape my mouth and not pull it off until I retire. Maybe I should only write about little kittens, or lollypops or rainbows; but then I'd probably piss off all the dog people. There is no way that anyone can please everyone, but that doesn't mean that we all need to keep our mouth shut if we have any aspirations in life.
Writing for MSNBC Adam Serwer writes, "Eich had a First Amendment right to give money to the Proposition 8 campaign. His critics had the same right not to use Mozilla's products, or to criticize them for choosing Eich as CEO. Supporters of Eich now have the right to attack Mozilla over his resignation. This is, in part, how the marketplace of ideas functions." It is true that all of these people do have these constitutional rights, but there is a difference between your rights and being right. Are these liberals seriously going to stalk this Eich guy for the rest of his life because he's backwards on marriage equality? Are we seriously prepared to boycott any company that is led by someone that doesn't share the same ideological beliefs as us? Does the hyper partisanship of Washington need to cross over into the business world, and every other facet of our lives? This is ridiculous people, they're a freakin' internet browser company, and this guy was totally qualified to lead it.
I'm so ashamed. The second that liberals get a taste of power, get a sliver of public support on their side they need to ram it down the throats of all those that don't agree with them. If we stopped to look in the mirror, would we see anything different than that which we have been criticizing for so long? We should be better than this, we should be better than them. And shame on Mozilla, they actually had some courage for all of 3-4 days. It obviously wasn't a very popular decision to defend him, but the precedent you've set here by letting him go is rather horrifying. I don't want to have to shop in a liberal grocery store, buying liberal groceries, and driving home in my liberal car (Whole Foods, Organic, and Prius Hybrid) only to have to return because I accidentally got the Red cola (Coke) instead of the Blue (Pepsi). I don't want to live in fear that the words I write today will keep me from a job I deserve tomorrow. I don't want to have to sensor myself because a bunch of art majors think I'm a prick. I don't want to live in Soviet Russia!
If the thousands of people who complained about Eich's promotion really wanted to make a difference, they could have all donated $1 towards marriage equality and trumped his measly $1k donation anyway. Come on people, this is America.
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