(no subject)
As a citizen of the state of California, I am legally required to comment on Prop 8. Yes, legally. It's in the law books to comment about it. It's right next to the part about having to make some sort of reference to the current governor and the Terminator movies.
It's easy for me to not be distraught at Prop 8 passing. I'm male, and my wife is female, so we are not directly affected. At the same time, I know a great many wonderful people whom this does affect. And really wish Prop 8 didn't pass. But it did. I do take consolation that, while the battle was lost, the war continues, and I am hopeful.
In 2000, Prop 22 passed by a comfortable margin, 61% to 49%, with $6 million in campaigning for it. This year, it was a tiny margin of 52% to 48%, with $18 million in rampaging(seriously, this is what the spellchecker suggested) campaigning for it. And this was done with misdirection and deceit.
But what's in a name? That which we call a marriage by any other name would smell as sweet. The court decision (PDF) that struck down Prop 22 did comment about this, and indeed, was the very heart of the matter, the difference between a domestic partnership and a marriage. Is it the name that is important, or the rights?
Suppose that Prop 8 forces the supreme court to declare that the word marriage is to be used only in religious rituals, that same-sex and opposite-sex couples are hereby defined as a domestic partnership or civil union. And furthermore, no law nor group can treat married couples different than a domestic partnership. That Prop 8 was a phyrric victory, one that leads to a proper separation of church and state, and grants equal rights. One that cannot be fought to 'protect marriage,' because the entire issue of the definition of marriage is now sidestepped and neutered.
Interesting times. We are living in interesting times, indeed.
It's easy for me to not be distraught at Prop 8 passing. I'm male, and my wife is female, so we are not directly affected. At the same time, I know a great many wonderful people whom this does affect. And really wish Prop 8 didn't pass. But it did. I do take consolation that, while the battle was lost, the war continues, and I am hopeful.
In 2000, Prop 22 passed by a comfortable margin, 61% to 49%, with $6 million in campaigning for it. This year, it was a tiny margin of 52% to 48%, with $18 million in rampaging(seriously, this is what the spellchecker suggested) campaigning for it. And this was done with misdirection and deceit.
But what's in a name? That which we call a marriage by any other name would smell as sweet. The court decision (PDF) that struck down Prop 22 did comment about this, and indeed, was the very heart of the matter, the difference between a domestic partnership and a marriage. Is it the name that is important, or the rights?
Suppose that Prop 8 forces the supreme court to declare that the word marriage is to be used only in religious rituals, that same-sex and opposite-sex couples are hereby defined as a domestic partnership or civil union. And furthermore, no law nor group can treat married couples different than a domestic partnership. That Prop 8 was a phyrric victory, one that leads to a proper separation of church and state, and grants equal rights. One that cannot be fought to 'protect marriage,' because the entire issue of the definition of marriage is now sidestepped and neutered.
Interesting times. We are living in interesting times, indeed.