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Viewpoint
Respect Thy Neighbor
by Brian Wilson
November will portend the hopes and fears of 2009, answering the question of who will lead this great nation for the next four years. With financial meltdowns and economic worries dominating the headlines with every passing day, each of us is faced with the continued challenge of working toward a better future.
Voters in California this November will have the opportunity to change the potential course of this state by voting on Proposition 8. A “yes” vote for Prop 8 would eliminate the court approved right for gay and lesbian couples to marry in California. In May of this year, the California Supreme Court overturned Proposition 22, which was passed eight years ago by 61 percent of California voters. That proposition defined marriage as being valid only between a man and a woman. The court heard the subsequent appeal and overturned the ruling, finding it to be discriminatory. Many people who were unhappy with the decision decided to raise money for signature gatherers to collect one million names to support putting the issue back to popular vote, this time as an amendment to the State Constitution.
In light of this month’s theme of “The Forgiving Heart,” this arguably divisive issue needs an infusion of some love and humanity. Instead, it has received money, and lots of it. According to the California Secretary of State, supporters and opponents have spent close to $50 million on this contentious issue. An astonishing $14 million is coming from out-of-state citizens, as reported by Michael Gardner and Agustin Armendariz in the San Diego Union Tribune on Oct. 7, 2008.
Bob Stern, President of the Center for Governmental Studies, asserts, “This is the most expensive, non-economic–interest ballot issue anywhere in the country.” With all this money passing through hands, how does one simply share with the world that this proposed law really insults and hurts millions of Californians?
Californians Against Hate seized the opportunity to do just that. Realizing the pain this Proposition would cause thousands of gay and lesbian couples and millions of their supportive friends and families, supporters of this non-profit organization spent the summer bringing public attention to the people and organizations donating money to Yes on Proposition 8 organizations. Through a multi-faceted approach involving old and new media, community outreach and even old-fashioned boycotts, they wanted to publicize the names of the people who felt that recent gay rights advancements should be eliminated. With over 60,000 donations, it was tough to identify each and every person, but the campaign was designed to pull back the veil of secrecy so that friends, co-workers and neighbors could identify the donors to Yes on 8 and decide for themselves how they wished to face these people.
Californians Against Hate believes that most people are decent individuals trying to create a happy and secure life for themselves and their families. If swing voters knew the pain that their vote could inflict on someone they personally knew, perhaps they would think twice before voting discrimination into the California Constitution. The goal was simple, and the time to do it was short.
The outcome will soon be determined, and regardless of which side is victorious, the hangover will last awhile. For those in favor of eliminating gay and lesbian marriage rights, many have felt alienated for following their faith-based beliefs. For those in support of marriage equality, many have wondered with shock and awe how people can proudly advocate taking away a minority group’s rights in this day and age. Clearly a win on one side is going to leave the other side disappointed. However, those who advocate Proposition 8 can at least take comfort in knowing their right to marry still stands after Nov. 4. For gays and lesbians, the consequences are much more severe. A negative outcome means they would actually lose something that they had prior to Election Day.
So here in 2008, the rights of millions of Californians have been put to popular vote. With strikingly similar undertones, the ban on interracial marriages was lifted just 60 years ago by California courts, despite a remarkable 80 percent of voters that did not support the courts’ decision at that time. For those of you in loving, mixed-race marriages, be very thankful you have the liberties you enjoy today. Your rights were not put to popular vote by a society that didn’t fully understand your plight at the time.
Peter Wolfgang, Executive Director of Family Institute of Connecticut commented in a press release last month on the recent ruling legalizing same sex marriage in Connecticut by declaring, ”we will put a question on the ballot to allow the public—not our robed masters—to decide once and for all if marriage will be protected in our State Constitution as the union of a man and a woman.” Clearly he and others across this nation feel that minority rights are best left to the popular vote. How unfortunate that we find ourselves back at such an ugly junction in history.
As the election results come in, please ask yourself if you are doing your part to build a strong, inclusive society in the days and years to come. Take note of the incredible freedoms you have, and think hard before being influenced to take them away from your fellow neighbors. My hope is people on both sides of this heated issue will find a way to respect the varied opinions, but most importantly, do their best to create a world that helps facilitate a safe place for everyone in this society. We should continue to aspire to find ways to encourage individual expression, without imposing our personal definitions of right and wrong on everyone. Thankfully, there are large numbers of unrecognized heroes in our everyday lives that find the courage to bring understanding to the two sides of this debate. May you feel compelled to do the same.