Prop 8 – The Roots in the Grass Roots Campaign

At the heart of every effective grass roots campaign are the little things that we do with our friends, neighbors and acquaintances that add up to big benefit when multiplied across the campaign.  My contribution today was a letter that I mailed to the 89 homes in our neighborhood with at least one registered voter.  When I was first doing door to door polling in the earlier days of the campaign I was struck by how many people new little or nothing about Prop 8.  I determined at that point invite my neighbors over to an open house so that we could discuss this important issue.  Of course good intentions didn’t get the job done and sheer number of neighbors overwhelmed my good idea.  Instead I sent a letter to each neighbor and tried to explained why Yes on 8 was so important.  In the end the timing is pretty good I think.  My letter should arrive Friday and should still be relatively fresh on Tuesday.  I know my eighty-nine homes is a drop in the bucket required to pass Prop 8, but it’s my eighty-nine neighbors and that’s what makes grass root efforts work. 

Attached is my letter for those of you who are curious here.

Home from School – The Prop 8 Protest

As many of you know, the California Teachers Associate dumped one million dollars into the No on 8 campaign.  In protest my children (one in middle school, one in elementary school) are absent from school today (October 21).  I of course debated the merit and effectiveness of this protest.  It doesn’t directly impact the CTA, but it’s the only way we can exhibit our disapproval of the action.  We had  a wonderful discussion at home about unions and how they sometimes don’t represent the will of their members.  If you’ve joined in this protest today please add a comment.  We don’t mind standing alone, but it’s more fun with friends.

 

Edit: Thanks for all of the posts thus far.  Please see beetlebabee’s blog for additional post on the CTA Protest (http://beetlebabee.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/cta-tuesday-response).  Incidentially we did get a call from our principle asking how many days our daughter would be out.  Only one we informed her.  My son also got a supportive email from one of his teachers which was nice. 

 

P.S.  Only positive comments will be allowed on this post.  I’m not looking for an argument regarding our choice and don’t care is this case to debate it.

New Slogan for the “No on Prop 8” – “It’s Too Late”

As I’ve become more familiar with the worldwide societal changes to family that are taking place I can’t help but wonder if the No on Prop 8 folks have the wrong message.  If they are honest about their end goals – complete acceptance of any alternative family arrangement – anything goes – then they would recognize that by the time gay marriage is allowed it is too late to turn back.  Does the fact that we now allow same-sex marriage mean that we’ve already dimished the value of family beyond repair?  Those of us that are LDS had what we consider a prophetic declaration regarding the sanctity of the Family and it’s divine structural requirements in 1995.  Timely enough to probably save the families in the Netherlands.  I suppose I’ve been mistaken in think that the Proclamation was simply prophetic as predicting the times we live in now.  I’m now wondering if there was action that we should have taken in 1995 to prevent the perilous spot we are in now. 

Having said all that, we are Americans.  We are not Europeans.  Our will (the peoples) has not been heard since the Judiciary voided our voice.  I believe it is not to late for us yet.  Vote Yes on 8 and prove that we are captains of our our destiny.

Prop 8 – The Decline of the Family

Found a fabulous article from 2004 that looked at the decline of the family in the Netherlands.  The legalization of same-sex marriage was just a stepping stone on the path, but it doesn’t sound like a path we in California should be on.  The fact that we even have to correct our course today is a frightening sign post of where we are already.  Read the article at http://www.heritage.org/research/Family/wm577.cfm.

Prop 8 – The Lies the “No on 8” Campaign Tells

I’m fairly sensitive to exaggerations, half truths and outright lies that are told as part of any campaign, especially when they are on the same side as me.  I try to do sufficient research, to read the stories and check out the facts before taking a position.  So today’s post is the outright lies told by the No on 8 Campaign. 

Lie: Yes on 8 is sponsored and financed by big out of state interest groups.

Fact:  The No on 8 campaign has received a full 37% of its money from donors out of state compared to a measly 20.1% for the Yes on 8 campaign.

Source:  LA Times Money Tracker (10/16/08)

 

Lie:  Failure of Prop 8 will not lead to the forced expansion of the gay agenda, including the attempts to limit religious freedom.

Fact:  The backers of No on 8 have used every legal maneuver they could in Massachusetts to prevent parental consent in schools and limit the opportunities for religious group to operate unmolested.

Source: Massachusetts Court Records

 

Lie: No on 8 will not lead to a slippery slope of marriage arrangements

Fact: The Netherlands , the first country to legalize homosexual marriage, allows multipartner unions (polygamy).

Source: The Brussels Journal

 

Lie: No on 8 is about Love

Fact: No on 8 is about social acceptance of a damaging shift in family relationship and the promotion of homosexual freedoms at the cost of religious freedoms.

Source: New York Times

 

The Bible famously states that “By their fruit you shall know them.”  I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that those that hate religion would break the eighth commandment – “Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” 

 

** Thanks to an article on ProtectMarriage.com  for providing some of these glaring falsehoods.

Prop 8 – Moms for Marriage Post a List

Mamapro at the Mom for Marriage blog (http://mamapro.blogspot.com/) reprinted a list of talking points from Scott Loveless, the Acting Managing Director of the World Family Policy Center at the J. Reuben Clark Law school, BYU.  See the list here.  All of the talking points are insightful and effective, but my favorite is #13 – it doesn’t end with redefining marriage.  I know it sounds alarmist to list all of the bad things that might happen if Prop 8 fails, but the reality this that many if not all of the bad things will happen based on the historical record we have before us.  It is sadly true that those that do not learn from history will repeat it.

Prop 8 – What Does the Opposition Really Want?

Heather over at http://makemyvotecount.blogspot.com/ posted a great link to an article from 2004 – right after the Massachusetts court decision.  Look for her post entitled From the Other Side where she links to commentary from Al Rantel.  Excellent perspective from the other side.

Prop 8 – The Content Just Gets Better

So lots to write about today.  Just a quick note to recommend a new video on YouTube.  By far the best representation of the Pro Prop 8 supporters I know.  If the link above doesn’t work please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-GjWY-WlA.

Prop 8 – The Yard Sign

So I’ve been looking forward to the arrival of the Yes on 8 yard signs for some time.  I remember fondly the days as a youth placing yard signs for my dad as he ran for city council.  You would drive down any street in our city and see yard after yard proclaiming allegiance to one candidate or another.  I looked forward to that feeling again as I drove down my street with my yard sign in the car.  But as I looked at my neighborhood I realized that I would be the first to take a position, via the grass pulpit anyway.   And maybe I would be the *only* one to so boldly proclaim my allegiance to Prop 8.  I have to admit, with a smidgen of shame, that I paused and thought that maybe the sign would stay in the car.  At this point I’ve already campaigned for Prop 8 in a variety of ways – walking precincts, raising money, talking to friends and colleagues – but this felt a little different.  My previous encounters were fairly anonymous.  Now I was placing a large sign, literally, on my home, on my family, for all to see – we supported Prop 8.  Of course the pause was just that – a pause – and the sign found a nice place on our front lawn.  We’re still the only one on the block, but now our neighbors know that we stand for family.  The family that God designed.  The family that as been the bedrock of civilization for millenia.  The family the way is has to be.

CA Prop 8 – Where To Begin

One of the principle issues that has driven me to publish some of my thoughts is California’s Proposition 8 that is on the November ballot.  I was fairly involved in the campaign for Proposition 22 back in 2000, walked a few precincts, put up a sign – the regular stuff – and while we knew it was important we were pretty much following the rest of the country in codifying what everyone already knew (at least 61% knew).  This time is much different.  Which the CA Supremes doing their best impression of . . . well I’m not sure what . . . not judges, we now have to turn the tide, not just surf the wave.  We live in a world full of examples now with one state and many countries demonstrating what happens when Marriage means anything or nothing.  Religious leaders threatened or sued for hate speech in Canada, schools teaching homosexual behavior as normal and equal with heterosexual behavior in Massachusetts.  The Brazilian senate is considering a bill already approved by their assembly that makes it illegal to speak against homosexuality in any forum.  At the heart of these consequences is the brewing conflict between religion and homosexuality.  In my experience it is religion that is the more tolerant of the two groups.  Religious leaders may preach against the sins involved in homosexual relationships, but rarely do an enlightened preachers propose that individuals be denied the right to make thier own choice.  The opposition groups talk about preserving rights, but history and example demontrate that religious Rights are really what is at stake should Proposition 8 fail.  My current favorite web site for Prop 8 info is the “What is Prop 8” site – lots of good info – organized well.