Prop 8 Numbers Flip: Now the Marriage Ban is Winning
This news is, of course, insane, but a new poll indicates that Prop 8 is pulling ahead. If it wins, then a group of Utah Mormons will have seized control of the California Constitution, giving themselves the power to veto any California marriage they want. Like we said: it’s insane.
So, what can you do? Plenty. Start by calling everyone you know RIGHT NOW to tell them that this is the big one. This is the election in which anyone who cares about civil rights absolutely MUST vote. You have until October 20 to register — do it now. And make sure every person you know is registered, too.
And when you tell them about Prop 8, here’s some talking points: Namely, that Prop 8 is a bunch of lies.
- They say it’ll protect kids from learning about gay marriage in schools, but it won’t.
- They say it’ll protect churches from lawsuits, but it won’t. (Marriage bans actually restrict free exercise; California clergy call them “excessive government entanglement.”)
- They say it’ll strengthen marriage, but it won’t — you can’t “save” marriage by giving control to one religious group so they can arbitrarily withhold it. Prop 8 means more unmarried couples, and less protection for the 52,000 California families with kids.
- They say that Californians supported a marriage ban in 2000 — but this is different. Unlike last time, Prop 8 introduces a brand new limit on marriage. And this time, the marriage ban had to come from out-of-state because Californians don’t want it.
(Source – SFist.com)
We cannot let misinformation and lies from out of state dictate California law. Read the proposition for yourself, then ask yourself if there’s any sensible reason to deny California’s gay citizens the right to formalize their love for one another. Ask yourself what good has ever been done by denying rights to our fellow citizens. Ask yourself how allowing others to marry will have any effect whatsoever on your own marriage.
Unless you’re a right-wing religious zealot (in which case, what are you doing reading my blog? You could go to hell for that), you must admit that gay marriage isn’t a threat to anyone. It’s all about equal rights and the American ideal. Vote NO on prop. 8.
12. October 2008 um 20:21
It is not just Utah mormons trying to make Proposition 8 a reality, it's also California mormons such as myself. We believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And it is actually mostly California mormons.
12. October 2008 um 20:39
I have no problem with Mormons establishing that position for their own
members to follow. But by espousing that be the law of the state is not only
crossing the line of separation between the church and the state, but
attempting to inflict a certain denominations religious beliefs on all the
state's citizens. If Mormons don't want to sanction gay marriages, fine. But
by what right do they expect everyone to follow their dogma? I'm not
forgetting it was while I was in high school, performing at a Mormon
activity with my school's ensemble, that the Black member of our group was
ordered to sit at a separate table, away from the White members. At that
time the Mormon church did not consider Blacks to be equal humans with
Whites. I'm sorry if I'm not sympathetic to Mormon beliefs. They have been
shown before to be seriously out-of-step with reality and humanity.