ignition .
No one is going to read this, except like balfonheim and probably, maybe, weirdgirlahead and dragon_gypsy but here's my thoughts on why Prop 8 passed. Remember I live in the heart of Conservative Christian territory in California: Orange County. Land of the Extremely Wealthy (not all of us are though) and Extremely Extremely Conservative. Extremely. When I rallied/protested to say No on Prop 8, the sign that caused the most shit was our sign saying 'Separate Church and State' which is in the Constituition but caused the most shit to fly.
But that's not the most damning thing.
It's the ad concerning children.
This ad and one similar to it, played and played and played multiple times an hour, every hour, every day leading up to voting. People panick about their kids, people are generally really really protective when it comes to children- even if it isn't there own. When this ad played, every family sat there and wondered, 'if that's what happened in that state, it'll happen here and I can't do anything about it.' Which is actually wrong.
I'm not sure about Mass. but here in California we have something called the California Standards/School Standards. It lists all the subjects that must be taught in our schools all the way from Kindergarten though the senior year of high school. Teachers can deviate from the list but they must complete the list. Now. Would gay marriage be forced onto the list and be forced taught. No. It's up to the teacher and when a teacher wants to talk about a subject that's deemed controversial or above PG/PG-13 they must get a signed permission slip.
Want an example? I graduated high school about/almost two years ago. When I was a junior, back in 2006, the topic of SLAVERY was NO LONGER on the California Standards. Out of the 5 high school history teachers, only ONE teacher caught the class slavery. My teacher was the only one who talked about slavery. The rest didn't have to because it was no longer on the California Standards. Even then, the teacher told us if we didn't want to hear it, she'd give us alternative work that we could in the library. Parents if they object to something we're about to learn or learning, can pull us out of the class. They can call the school or tell the teacher and they can give us alternative work.
The thing is, most parents I believe do not know this. I bring this up because out of all my gay friends that I've hung out with and talk to about this, they all agree: this ad was the most damning. Last night I was talking to my sister and she mentioned how our 'concerned neighbors' were calling the house several times, and at one point, we're going around the neighborhood knocking on doors to vote Yes on Prop 8.
When my sister answered the phone the man told her to vote Yes, because he said he had learned that they were going to force kids to learn about same sex marriage. That he didn't have a problem with homosexuals but he had a problem about his young daughter learning about it in school. My sister countered on the phone and told him about the California Standards and he didn't know what to tell her. From what I've learned from her, he had no idea that California had such a thing or the fact that his daughter wouldn't be forced to learn it.
Is there still massive amounts of religious prejudice in California? Yes there is. But I think we might have gotten more votes if people didn't feel like their children were being threatened. Regardless of any school book work or learning, children will learn about other people and their lifestyles. No matter what the parents do, it won't stop them from hanging out or talking to other people they deem 'unacceptable'. It's how we grow into ourselves and learn our own likes and dislikes, but do parents have any overwhelming influence on how we act? Yea, they do, but its up to ourselves if we want to follow in our own parents shadow or be something new.
Not all ballots have been counted, but it still looks like Prop 8 will pass. But will it stay there? No, it won't. Lawyers and groups are already forming and are looking at ways to tear it down. Prop 8 is poorly written in its entirity, its about civil rights, and about pushing the words Separating Church and State. It's in the Constitution, but most ignore it until something like this comes up and they try their damndest to say 'Well it is separate, I don't know what you're talking about.' when it's not. It's really not. If we had separation of Church and State, we'd have approved same sex marriages a long time ago, we'd have had approved those same marraiges the ability to adopt children in a welfare and child care system that is absoloutely apalling in the way its set up and maintained.
We're getting though? I know lots of people who were simply a few days too young that couldn't vote but wanted to, so badly to help fight this. Next time if another ballot like this comes out, I know the tide will change. Though its bittersweet, that we might have change coming to the country as a whole (it can be good or bad, its up to the person's perspective), this census makes me happy. The future will be a totally different place.
I'm lovin' how all my posts are about Prop 8 and not about the president. \o/
Please make comments if you'd like, sorry if its badly written right now, and not with many resources and stuff to link to, but this is all from what I remember about my school experience and my thoughts.
But that's not the most damning thing.
It's the ad concerning children.
Click to viewThis ad and one similar to it, played and played and played multiple times an hour, every hour, every day leading up to voting. People panick about their kids, people are generally really really protective when it comes to children- even if it isn't there own. When this ad played, every family sat there and wondered, 'if that's what happened in that state, it'll happen here and I can't do anything about it.' Which is actually wrong.
I'm not sure about Mass. but here in California we have something called the California Standards/School Standards. It lists all the subjects that must be taught in our schools all the way from Kindergarten though the senior year of high school. Teachers can deviate from the list but they must complete the list. Now. Would gay marriage be forced onto the list and be forced taught. No. It's up to the teacher and when a teacher wants to talk about a subject that's deemed controversial or above PG/PG-13 they must get a signed permission slip.
Want an example? I graduated high school about/almost two years ago. When I was a junior, back in 2006, the topic of SLAVERY was NO LONGER on the California Standards. Out of the 5 high school history teachers, only ONE teacher caught the class slavery. My teacher was the only one who talked about slavery. The rest didn't have to because it was no longer on the California Standards. Even then, the teacher told us if we didn't want to hear it, she'd give us alternative work that we could in the library. Parents if they object to something we're about to learn or learning, can pull us out of the class. They can call the school or tell the teacher and they can give us alternative work.
The thing is, most parents I believe do not know this. I bring this up because out of all my gay friends that I've hung out with and talk to about this, they all agree: this ad was the most damning. Last night I was talking to my sister and she mentioned how our 'concerned neighbors' were calling the house several times, and at one point, we're going around the neighborhood knocking on doors to vote Yes on Prop 8.
When my sister answered the phone the man told her to vote Yes, because he said he had learned that they were going to force kids to learn about same sex marriage. That he didn't have a problem with homosexuals but he had a problem about his young daughter learning about it in school. My sister countered on the phone and told him about the California Standards and he didn't know what to tell her. From what I've learned from her, he had no idea that California had such a thing or the fact that his daughter wouldn't be forced to learn it.
Is there still massive amounts of religious prejudice in California? Yes there is. But I think we might have gotten more votes if people didn't feel like their children were being threatened. Regardless of any school book work or learning, children will learn about other people and their lifestyles. No matter what the parents do, it won't stop them from hanging out or talking to other people they deem 'unacceptable'. It's how we grow into ourselves and learn our own likes and dislikes, but do parents have any overwhelming influence on how we act? Yea, they do, but its up to ourselves if we want to follow in our own parents shadow or be something new.
Not all ballots have been counted, but it still looks like Prop 8 will pass. But will it stay there? No, it won't. Lawyers and groups are already forming and are looking at ways to tear it down. Prop 8 is poorly written in its entirity, its about civil rights, and about pushing the words Separating Church and State. It's in the Constitution, but most ignore it until something like this comes up and they try their damndest to say 'Well it is separate, I don't know what you're talking about.' when it's not. It's really not. If we had separation of Church and State, we'd have approved same sex marriages a long time ago, we'd have had approved those same marraiges the ability to adopt children in a welfare and child care system that is absoloutely apalling in the way its set up and maintained.
We're getting though? I know lots of people who were simply a few days too young that couldn't vote but wanted to, so badly to help fight this. Next time if another ballot like this comes out, I know the tide will change. Though its bittersweet, that we might have change coming to the country as a whole (it can be good or bad, its up to the person's perspective), this census makes me happy. The future will be a totally different place.
I'm lovin' how all my posts are about Prop 8 and not about the president. \o/
Please make comments if you'd like, sorry if its badly written right now, and not with many resources and stuff to link to, but this is all from what I remember about my school experience and my thoughts.