Prop 8 has absolutely no business on the ballot. The bigots and bible-thumpers who support this insulting propaganda seriously need to consider how they’d feel if it was their marriages that were being voted on. If they did, they would plainly realize his has nothing to do with indoctrination or freedom of religion. This entire negative campaign is strictly and solely about stripping away the legally-granted rights of two people who want nothing more than to spend the rest of their lives together. Nothing more!

The No on 8 committee just sent an e-mail indicating:

“…we have been up all night crafting two strategies to set the record straight:

1) A new TV and radio ad highlighting Senator Obama’s firm opposition to Prop 8. It also echoes the chorus of opposition from California’s leaders — Governor Schwarzenegger, the California Teachers Association, Senator Feinstein and more.

2) Targeted automated calls to millions of voters from NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson asking them to join him and Barack Obama in opposing Prop 8.”

Because I really like this strategy and think it will be effective, I just made another donation – my 7th to date. To donate, go to noonprop8.com

I vote with my dollars every day, and I spend it at gay-owned, pro-gay and gay-friendly companies. Take a look at the Human Rights Campaign Fund Buyer’s Guide, which is updated every year.

http://www.hrc.org/
buyersguide/
hrc_buyersguide-11_29.pdf

Show the world that we have considerable monetary clout, since we do!

With all due respect to Bud, I must seriously disagree. There are times that violence is not only necessary, it is required. If it were not for a war, there would be no United States, as I am quite sure the monarchy in England would never willingly have let us go our own way, as the citizens of Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland will attest. If not for war, the Nazis would now rule most of Europe, as Chamberlain’s peaceful appeasement of Hitler after the annexation of Austria only encouraged him to march into Poland. I agree that in many instances, such as our current war in Iraq, the reasons for our aggression are less than honorable and somewhat dubious, but this does not apply to every instance of war.

As far as the opinion that violence never solves anything, again I would have to disagree and say that violence solves about 98% of all issues on the planet, sometimes with negative consequences, sometimes with positive benefits. Violence, whether actual or implied, in its various guises, is the foundation of all societies on the planet, whether in the form of physical violence, economic sanctions, legal systems or any other manifestation it may take, allowing civilization as we know it to exist relatively free of total anarchy and chaos.

Legal systems of every country on the planet function solely on the implication of violence and the actual application of violence for offenders. Economic violence in the form of fines are used as a deterrent for minor offenses. For more serious issues the stripping of a person’s freedom and caging them as one would an animal is an extremely violent act. In the most severe cases, the death penalty is the most violent act of all. While the various merits may be argued to an extent, I am quite sure very few would be willing to forego this necessary violence and let murderers, rapists, molestors and other depraved individuals to freely roam our steets in the name of peace.

Voting is also an act of violence as it imposes the will of one group upon the opposition group, with the sanction and approval of the ruling authority. When this form of violence is used to oppress a group of people, the impact may be far more damaging than an act of physical violence as it may encompass a whole community rather than a few unfortunate individuals. Such violence, with the endorsement of a legal system, will only encourage further acts of physical violence, and regrettably many times the only deterrent to such acts is resistance with equal violence.

Perhaps in another 10,000 years people will evolve into purely altruistic beings and violence will no longer be necessary, but the reality is that this will not happen as long as some individuals are consumed with a lust for power and wealth. These individuals will continue to use violence to work their will for their own ends and, with the support of a legal system which they manipulate, there are few alternatives left. Either fight back, or surrender.

Is rioting by the SCC Community the preferred way to gain our rights? In a perfect society, I would say no. But in reaqlity, where reason, logic and common sense are disregarded and no possibility of dialogue is evident with some social institutions, such acts may give them pause to consider the possible consequences of their continued oppression. As long as we “turn the other cheek” when acts of violence and domestic terrorism are committed against us, we will be perceived as a weak and easy target.

As with schoolyard bullies who often go unchecked until someone delivers to them a good asskicking, so too will these people, who will never be reached via reason and open dialogue, continue their self-righteous “holy crusade” against gay people and to take full advantage of their assumed dominant position. It may seem bad now, but if we ever gain equal rights, the physical violence against us will escalate as they will no longer have the recourse of legal violence against us.

Chip White, a spokesman for Protectmarriage.com, the main group backing Prop 8, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Instead of backing down, Low turned up in San Francisco this morning (Thursday, October 30) to join Mayor Gavin Newsom and other Asian American politicians from the Bay Area for a walk through Chinatown to urge voters to support marriage equality.

Blender Gloria Nieto was quoted in the article:
Gloria Nieto, political director at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose, labeled the tactics thuggish and said they would not work.
“You know what a bunch of thugs. They are attacking our Web sites, threatening our elected officials. It is nothing but thuggery; it is disgusting,” said Nieto. “I don’t think it will work in Campbell. I will be the first in line to support Evan so he knows people are backing him up.”

Brothers and Sisters of many faiths,

Let us be absolutely clear that in our opposition to Proposition 8 we are asking nothing more than what already exists in the respectful balance between the beliefs and practices of our many faiths and California constitutional law.

Within the many communities of faith in our State we have conflicting doctrines and beliefs that already govern the practice of marriage.

Our Roman Catholic, Mormon and many of our evangelical churches do not and will not marry persons who are divorced. But that does not mean that those who are divorced are constitutionally prohibited from the right of legal marriage in our state.

Likewise, our Roman Catholic, Mormon, and some Jewish and Muslim faith traditions will not marry persons of different faith traditions. But that does not mean that interfaith couples, or those of no particular faith tradition, cannot be married in our state.

Our California constitution honors all religious traditions by respecting our differences about religious marriage while at the same time providing and protecting the right of all couples to marry the person of their choice.

Prop. 8 would ELIMINATE the constitutional right of same sex couples to marry. That is unfair and unjust. California constitutional law already honors and respects religious differences. No religious institution is forced to marry anyone. But that does not mean that any person in our state should lose their constitutional right for legal marriage.

I urge you to protect our constitutional rights as well as our right to religious diversity and pluralism by voting NO on Proposition 8.

Thank you.
#

Rev. Daniel E. Smith
Pastor, West Hollywood Presbyterain Church
7350 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Ph: 323-874-6646
E: dsmith@wehopres.org

Worship Service: Sundays at 11 AM

West Hollywood Presbyterian Church
7350 Sunset Blvd at Martel St
(between LaBrea and Fairfax)
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323/874-6646
http://www.wehopres.org

If, perhaps, the people who read that “thing” should rather leave the zipper closed and use some common sense with a great deal of love and compassion, they would understand that their actions against the LGBTQI community (amongst other monorities) are nothing but bigoted hatefulness and just plain bad for humanity as a whole.

Unfortunately, they open the zipper to find passages that support their hate and bigotry. Those that do not think for htemselves just listen to those “mind-control freaks” who fill the hearts and minds of their followers with the same hateful and evil thoughts and deeds.

I surely hope that the governments do require all children to be taught about all types of families and all types of decent, love-filled and constructive relationships, including same-sex marriages.

Please vote AGAINST hatred and bigotry, and vote FOR love and kindness.

There is not enough love and kindness in thid world, and there never can be enough of it to go around, no matter the amount we experience or see.

Let it be written; let it be done!