Get out and rock the vote.
My 100% hope is that what I say here is thoughtful and objective.
I support California's Prop 8. I could probably write all day about the ins and outs of this complex issue but the short and sweet version is thus. While I am not in favor of a theocracy and government legislating morality, it is impossible to completely remove a moral value system from the core of government. Every government assumes some level of "the good" and its policies advocate and protect it. As America has progressed the definition of "the good" has changed in good ways (slavery abolished, civil rights, women's rights etc.) and not so good ways. While this current issue of gay marriage echoes past equal rights movements it is NOT the same as the efforts made for women and African Americans.
Today I read several no on prop 8 articles arguing that the pro prop 8 groups are using misleading fear tactics (kids taught in school, religious litigation, etc.) to generate interest. My friends it goes both ways and the no on prop 8 push comparing their current situation to the African American civil rights efforts is playing dirty. The "now its our turn" logic goes... if gay rights are the continuation of these past civil rights causes then conversely anyone now against them is a also continuation of bigotry. For obvious reasons that doesn't sit well with me while also clouding the issues.
What is so wrong about these arguments is the fact that if gay rights activists are correct in their desire for equal treatment under the law then gay marriage should be taught and expressed as equally in school as conventional marriage. Why not? Gay couples who are discriminated against in anyway, from adoption, to wedding photography, should sue those groups and win. It would be like civil rights activists from the 60's saying, "Hey you know what? We want equal treatment but don't worry, businesses can still discriminate against us, schools leave us out of the books, and really all in all not much is going change."
A few more weeks and we'll see what happens
Learn more here...
http://www.protectmarriage.com/
ps-This was my first attempt writing about a HOT political issue and after re-reading this, it might be my last. It is tough not sounding like a jack ass. Simple pleasures like OP shorts, cycling, and luke and miles from here on out:)
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4 comments:
i'm proud of you, sir. It's almost never a mistake to think. and I'm glad you have the guts to share those thoughts. A)it's part of being a responsible voting citizen, and B) it makes the OP short stories all the more meaningful.
Ray one week from tonight.
Great post and great comment, John. If you two lived back in the day, I'm sure you would both be philosophers running around in togas. And me and Ashely would hang out. I agree with what you said. Prop 8 isn't about gay rights, it's about denying freedom of religion. I just wish I still had a CA voting registration...
john: thanks for being proud of me. I need you to dig up that paper you wrote in college... I'd like to read it, you little rebel activist.
You avoided an agree or disagree on the post. Man up and let me have it.
heidi: john and I in togas is beautiful picture.
Random travis insight:
Togas makes me think about Bill and Teds excellent adventure and how when they grabbed Socrates from the past he wore a toga and had a shoulder farmers tan from wearing normal short sleeve shirts. I remember thinking... man couldn't they get the actor to lay out for a few days and even that out?
I'm confused when they talk about "misleading scare tactics" since those scare tactics are merely facts from Massachusetts.
It's also a very strange feeling having people think I'm a bigot for supporting Prop 8...it makes it almost impossible to have a real conversation about it.
I'll be happy to write and read posts about our boys again! And way to work in a Bill and Ted's reference...fabulous. Have they released a DVD box set of that yet?
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