And Mr. H's Take on Prop 8

Not sure if you guys have any pals who are planning to vote yes on Prop 8, but the author of (the previous post) is a conservative rabbi who I think articulates several compelling reasons to vote no. Please pass it along.

On a personal note, I am absolutely outraged not only by this initiative, but even moreso by the fact that it has generated huge popular support. The current polls show the Yes and No votes as being very close to a statistical dead heat. The arguments put forth by the supporters of the initiative are similar in many ways to the arguments used by those who argued against voting rights for women and blacks. The constitutional amendments granting equal rights to those parties were passed in 1920 and 1870 respectively, and I think it's safe to say that the United States has done pretty well in subsequent years: we are arguably the most prosperous and free society in the world.

I am, quite frankly, shocked that the same political party that so passionately gives voice to the ideas of freedom, liberty, and small government, would apply that same level of passion to a ballot initiative that is so contrary to those same ideals. There is no victim created by allowing consenting adults to marry (or form a civil union, or whatever you want to call it), and in a truly free civilization, a victimless act should not be prohibited. In a country that values freedom and liberty, opponents of gay rights should use the power of free speech to try to convince others that homosexual relationships are immoral. It's about using the power of ideas and words to compel others to your way of thinking, rather than relying on the government to enforce your religious belief.

For the record, while I personally believe in completely equal rights for gay and lesbian couples, I am absolutely, 100% in favor of religious institutions refusing to sanction gay marriage--that is their right and the government has no business interfering with them. However, it is not the right of the government, nor was it the intention of the Founding Fathers, that the government should make laws based on religiously-prescribed morality. (Rabbi Miller indirectly supports this particularly well in her sixth paragraph (see last post).)

Anyway, I appreciate your listening while I share my thoughts on this. Feel free to forward this to anyone who might benefit from reading it, Prop 8 supporters and opponents alike. This is, I believe, a civil rights debate that has not yet been given its full voice, and the only way a debate takes place is if people speak out. California yet again has an opportunity to be on the vanguard of the civil rights movement, so let's defend the rights of our citizens and make it happen.

All the best,

Mr. H