Wednesday, November 5, 2008

For the Love of...

So yeah...it’s been awhile.

I've been busy, and frankly nothing has really been inspiring me enough to sit down and drop the million or so things that I should be doing to blog for my four loyal readers (whom I talk to everyday anyway).

Over the past few weeks I dismissed the yellow "protect marriage" signs that have popped up around town. I have scoffed at the people standing on street corners in the name of their church. I completely underestimated the religious right...this is, after all, supposed to be the most progressive state in the union.

I think I mostly just couldn't believe that there could be enough people who are ignorant enough to pass such an injustice in today's world.

The propaganda was outlandish, claiming the amendment was about schools, children and freedom of speech (that last one really made me go WHA?). It was about discrimination and I find it ironic that in election that broke down years of racial discrimination, that a new brand popped up in its wake.

While people cheered around me for the dawn of change, I couldn't celebrate. I felt a lump in my throat as I watched the numbers of California's proposition 8 come in. The popular vote is in favor of altering our constitution to eliminate rights for a group of people, based upon a religious ideal that marriage is between a man and woman.

Our forefathers came to this country and wrote our laws to avoid religious persecution. We have a separation between church and state. How then, can the largest argument in favor of prop 8 be that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve? Maybe he did, but that has nothing to do with our legal rights.

I have been saying for awhile now...and I know it makes me sound like a leftist nut...that marriage should removed from the law altogether. If the church wants to take claim over the word "marriage" and its definition...by all means, take it. Let us make civil unions REALLY have all the rights of marriage and change its label. If you want to be married in the church...go for it, but the state won't recognize it until you get your civil union license.

I wish I had realized how close this was going to be. I would have done more...because people...we just amended our constitution to eliminate rights...what is this 1918?

4 comments:

Beverley Viljoen said...

I'm in tears at the thought of the our country's set back and closed hearts.

Anonymous said...

You are wrong.

You have five loyal readers, not four.

Thank you for putting into words your thoughts on the dichotomous emotions many of us are feeling about the 2008 election.

Katy said...

Thank you Ashley.

Unknown said...

You may have more readers than you think! Amid the election celebrations here in Peru, we felt really alone seeing the results of how California voted come in. We take hope in both the close percentage at which Prop 8 almost didn't passed, and also the idea that this injustice will mobilize even more people to pay attention and act.