One Last Try to Educate on Prop 8

As I write this I can see the street in front of my house. What I see are these ugly yellow signs, that all say the same thing Yes on Prop 8. I was born and raised here in the bay area. Gay marriage has been legal for a while now, and trust me, the world has not fallen into ruin. Unless you count the influence of the current White House administration, but I digress.

I'm not sure exactly how much publicity Prop 8 is receiving in the rest of the country, but here it is everywhere. And it makes me sad. You see I believe that everyone has the right to his or her own opinion on gay marriage. But personal opinions should not be the basis for removing a law that is not really hurting anybody anyway. The only ones hurt by Prop 8 will be the people who will no longer be able to marry the person they love.

You know else will be hurt if Prop 8 passes? The 52,000 kids here in California being raised by gay and lesbian couples, whose dignity and rights will be stripped from them if Prop 8 passes. 52,000 kids who are not even old enough to vote. Who’s taking into account their opinion? Who’s protecting their rights?
It upsets me that this campaign in favor of Prop 8 is taking advantage of peoples fears and ignorance and running a campaign based on lies. And people who don’t even live in California are running it. And these people don’t intend on moving here no matter what the outcome of tomorrow’s election. Why do they have a say at all?

Here's a few facts for you.

1. Being raised in the school system here and having a child in it now, I can promise that gay marriage is not going to be taught in schools. I am not saying that based on what commercials say. I am saying that as an active PTA parent AND an early childhood educator who is well aware of the curriculum here.

2. I was not allowed to marry in the Catholic Church. I was raised Catholic, but my husband was not. Instead I was married by an officiate in the mountains of Northern California. The Catholic Church still does not recognize MY marriage. And they will continue to not recognize it whether prop 8 passes or not. Because churches have rules about whom they will and will not marry. These rules won’t change. Again, I do not say this because of commercials, I say it as a Catholic girl who could not be married in the church, so I know. But the state of California recognizes my marriage. That also won’t change whether Prop 8 passes or not.

3. Nothing will change if people vote no on prop 8. There will only be changes if Prop 8 passes. Can I say that again?

NO Vote- Nothing Changes

Yes Vote-Many Things Change.

I say that as someone capable of reading English. I read Prop 8. You should too.

If you are a California resident you have the power to Vote NO tomorrow on Prop 8. Say no Hate. Say no to ignorance. Say no to Prop 8.

People have the power, use it!

Prop 8 Update

So I am finally starting to see some No on Prop 8 signs around the hood, around all of town in fact. It's about time. I am so annoyed with all the stupid ads saying Yes on Prop 8. What's even sadder is that people here in California are actually buying this crap. I though we were a little more educated than that. Yesterday I received a notice in the mail from the California Police Officers, you know their voter guide. Usually they send this out right before an election and list all the Propositions that they support and why. Normally they simply list whatever props apply to them, but not this year. THIS year they included their position on Prop 8. Which is a big fat uneducated bigoted YES. Can you imagine? The POLICE taking a stance on something like this? How crazy is that?

On the flip side, the California Superintendent and the California School system have also taken an official position, which is NO. Thank God. Those of you who have not seen some of the Yes on Prop 8 ads, one of the many false claims that they make is that gay marriage will be taught in schools. Any of us with children know that that is of course pure BS. Since when is ANY kind of marriage taught in schools? Never has, never will. Not here in California anyway. That's why the schools have taken an official stand not only against Prop 8, but against misleading the California people.


You go Schools! Ok, well if you are in California, or even know people in California, please spread the word. Vote No on Prop 8!!!

Yes on Love, No on 8!

I was suddenly taken back today by the sudden emergence of a number of Vote Yes on Prop 8 signs EVERYWHERE. Now, I'm taken back because we are a fairly democratic community. The majority of registered voters here in good old Livermore are in fact Democrats. Well, at least we are now... So I kind of thought that, generally speaking, we all agreed on the whole gay marriage thing. C'mon folks, this is the bay area, gay marriage is kind of our "thing" right now.

Maybe I should clarify for those of you who are not aware of Prop 8. Basically it takes back the right for gay couples to marry. The right that they were so rightfully given here in California. And I can't go half a block without seeing a "Yes on Prop 8" sign. WTF? I have serious issues with gay marriage. In that it should NOT be something we vote on. How lame is restricting marriage?

Here I am watching the debates, and no one can agree if "Universal health care" is allowing the government too much power. Last week the government went back and forth over the bail out bill because no one could decide if the government should or shouldn't step in to take control. Yet everyone is quite clear on how much the government should be involved in the marriage bed? C'mon.

Love is love, and should never be put on a ballot. People should marry who they want to marry, and actually Californians in general all agreed that to be true once already. Isn't that how gay marriage became legal in the first place? So how does that end up on the ballot again?

And how did all my crazy neighbors get these signs up in front of their house all of a sudden? What are we living in the fifties all of sudden? Did Doc Brown screw up the space time continuim?

It's just sad. I want so much for my kids to grow up in a world where love is honored in all it's beautiful incarnations. One of my worst fears as a parent, aside from my kids getting into drugs, is that my kids will grow up to be bigots. It would just break my heart. And I hope that I raise them with the morals, strength, and intelligence they need to not succumb to ignorance. Stupid Yes on Prop 8 people! I fear your influence on my children, not the gays!