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How about about a history lesson?

By toby || November 8, 2008

I’m not going to tell people that their vote on Prop 8 was wrong or right. I’m just going to point out a couple of parallels in history that today are universally understood to be very dark times for civil rights in the US, but at the time were seen as justified just as Prop 8 may seem to some people now.

My hope is that people will look beyond their personal agendas, justified as they may seem, and see the bigger picture.

First up, denying marriage for one segment of the population:

In 1913, 30 states enforced laws banning marriage between whites and non-whites. In 1924, Virginia joined them when its legislature made marriage between white persons and non-white persons a felony. These laws remained in effect until 1967, when the US Supreme Court found them to be contrary to the guarantees of the US Constitution.

In 2007, 26 states had constitutional amendments explicitly barring the recognition of same-sex marriage, 18 of them prohibited the legal recognition of ANY same-sex union, and 19 more had legislation narrowly defining marriage to exclude same-sex partners. On Nov. 4th 2008, California, Florida, and Arizona joined the list, bring the total to 48.

Further back in history, another uncanny parallel:

Prior to 1835, the Supreme Court of North Carolina upheld the constitutional right of free men of color to vote; in response, the people voted in an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution removing this right by a majority of 55%.

On May 15, 2008, the Supreme Court of California overturned an unconstitutional ban of same-sex marriage; in response, the people voted in an amendment to the California Constitution removing this right by a majority vote of 52%.

It took until 1870 (a generation later) for government endorsed discrimination to be overturned by the 15th amendment, and another century before equal rights for all were guaranteed by law. Those ideals are once again under attack, the Constitution that once protected all Californians from discrimination and granted all people the same rights has been rewritten to single out one group of people for discrimination.

In both historical instances mentioned above, the justifications seemed reasonable to the majority at the time but are now universally seen as wrong.

Will America find a way to embrace equality once and for all, or must we leave it to future generations to prove us wrong once again? Will our children look at what this generation of voters has done in the name of tradition and hang their heads in shame?

Regardless of your religious beliefs or your personal feelings about your fellow Americans, equality is equality, is equality. Protect equal rights under the law in ALL THINGS for ALL PEOPLE.

You can help make a difference, do a little research and make your own choices:

Lambda Legal Defense Fund: http://www.lambdalegal.org/

Equality California: http://www.eqca.org/

Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/

[ Topic Diversity, Politics, Politics, Etc., Religion, Society | No Comments ]

President

By adam || November 5, 2008

Hey, so maybe the whole “Bradley Effect” was kinda bullshit.

[ Topic Politics, Politics, Etc. | 2 Comments ]

Because I Am A Petty Bitch With Naught But Tar In My Heart

By cari || November 4, 2008

I just have to take this two seconds to get up on my high and mighty, self-righteous horse and then I shall shut it and shut it good.

It is fantastic that everyone is going out and voting. I could not be happier about it.

However, many people who have not bothered to vote since perhaps the last presidential election (if that) are telling me how hard it has been to vote today. I do not mean waiting in long lines or encountering technical problems. I mean they do not know where their polling place is or whether they are registered or other such stories of this strenuous and bewildering thing called ‘voting’.

Can I just say, as someone who has made an effort to vote in every election, even the local ones, since I came of age: I sympathize with long lines or technical problems, but not with figuring out where to vote or whether you’re registered. Please do not make yourself out to be this heroic martyr because you just now figured out how to fulfill your civic duty.

When you register, they mail you your polling information. And then they send a follow-up card before the Primaries that lists your polling location and your Election District number.

Sorry to be so petty and bitchy, but you would think from the griping that these people had to climb Mt. Everest.

Thank you thank you thank you for voting. Thank you for making a difference. But please do not think you are now eligible for sainthood.

[ Topic Politics, Politics, Etc., Ridiculosity | No Comments ]