Poop 8

More riffing on the topic from this earlier post:

The proponents of California's Proposition 8 have further raised the bar in the commercials, alleging that the failure to pass the ban on same-sex marriage would lead to lawsuits against the state and churches losing their tax-exempt status (and the aforementioned teaching of same sex unions to school children without any parental input). They don't mention in the ads how the one leads to the other*, but it's not like explanations have any part of any commercial, whether it's for floor polish or for using the state to codify one's intolerance; they're just about convincing the concerned that the situation can be cleaned up simply by following what the ad says.

If they were smart, the proponents would figure out some way to imply that banning same-sex marriage is good for the environment. The "green" movement is the bandwagon on which everyone is jumping these days.

It's no worse than anything else they're saying.

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Having read the voter information guide (the one sent out to everyone), the argument in favor of Prop. 8 focuses largely on how a similar initiative received a majority of the vote in 2000, and how that was overturned by "activist judges" in defiance of the will of the people.

Their thesis is that if a majority of people disagree with the notion that a minority who wants to be treated the same as that majority—not better, just the same—that the will of the majority should dictate that the law treats that minority differently.

They claim that same-sex unions carry the same benefits as marriage, but they want "marriage" to be kept separate.

Separate but equal. Hmm… that has a familiar ring to it. Where have I heard that before?

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We certainly wouldn't want children getting the idea that it's okay for a person to marry the person he or she loves most in the world. Most of them will never find true love anyway, and will end up settling for some pale imitation; no point in getting their hopes up in their youth.

That would be irresponsible.

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Paying attention is depressing.


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* The fear is that if churches refuse to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies they could be sued for that.

Which I admit is entirely possible. I'm sure there may be at least one gay or lesbian couple who'd just want to fuck with a church, and have plenty of money for attorney fees.

However, given that the marriages are presently legal, one wonders what is holding them back from suing now.