Forgive Me, Charles

(posted by Dan)

I spoke too soon about Charles' Republicanism. I found this passage, from a review of Barkley's recent book of interviews on race, at outsports.com, a gay-oriented sports website.

In a conversation with writer Marita Golden, Barkley (a former Republican who supported Bush in 2000 but switched party allegiance in 2004) relates, “I almost got into a fistfight with two preachers during a meeting about support for John Kerry before the 2004 presidential elections. They asked me, ‘Do you support homosexuality?” I said the issue here isn’t homosexuality, it’s more important than that, and only God can judge people. I told them that’s what scares me about the religious agenda it this country …Of all the issues people have and need to have addressed by the black church, when did attacking homosexuality go to the top of them?”

So Charles can change, and if Charles can change, maybe I can change, and you can change, and we can all change (the reference here, I should note because it's probably not remotely accurately paraphrased, is to Rocky's speech at the end of Rocky IV, after he won over the Russian fans while beating Ivan Drago).

UPDATE: The exact quote, taken from the indispensable imdb.com, is as follows, and enjoy with me the pleasure of Rocky "addressing the Soviet Union."

[Addressing the Soviet Union]
Rocky: I guess what I'm trying to say is, if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change.