'Yes on 8' Blackmail Won't Stop Corporate Opposition
| Fri Oct. 24, 2008 2:55 PM PDT
In case you haven't heard, right-wingers and religious zealots have worked themselves into a tizzy supporting Proposition 8, which would change the California constitution to say marriage is only between a man and a woman. There are even reports that Yes on 8 folks sent threatening letters to 30 companies who donated to No on 8. In the letter, Yes on 8 said that if the companies didn't give them the same amount of money, they would publish their names.
Obviously not fearing a large-scale boycott from the Mormon Church, Steve Jobs and company have spoken out against Proposition 8. From Apple's home page:
Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees' same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person's fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.
Other major corporations who have publicly opposed Proposition 8 include Google, PG&E, Levi Strauss, and Clear Channel. If Yes on 8 folks want to organize a boycott, they'll have to do it without Google's search engine, Apple computers, or PG&E's electricity and phone services. The No on 8 have no similar technological limitations, and have even issued a cheeky set of "I'm a Mac; I'm a PC"-style commercials.
—Steve Aquino and Jen Phillips
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Comments
Any time "our side" is losing, or has lost, it's because of "dirty tricks", "cheating", "fraud", "evil corporations" or "Karl Rove".
"We" never lose simply because ordinary, non-leftie people don't find Our Candidate or Our Proposition desirable.
This meme wears a little thin after about the 500th resurrection of it, tailored-to-fit the current rejection by voters.
Maybe it's time to get away from the excuse-making, and figure out how to make a case for propositions and candidates that actually appeals to people who aren't leftie activists.
As to gays & lesbians being able to marry as they wish, I'm 100% supportive of that concept. However, engaging in a battle to legislate it into existance was an approach that any outside observer could predict would meet with strenuous resistance by many among the majority who aren't lesbians or gays.
I'd suggest trying a different approach.
Libertarians by-and-large support the concept as solidly as the left, but their thrust is to take the determination of what a marriage is (essentially a 'Civil Contract') away from government. Get their hands entirely off of marriage. Off of favoring married people through tax benefits, while punishing the single. Tell government they can no longer force us to get their permission to marry who we please, by means of the marriage license.
I think that the 'Liberty' approach might actually be an easier sell to the average American than something that is clearly so easy for many religious leaders to oppose, as legislating on gay/lesbian marriage clearly is.
The question you ask the voters to decide is a simple one: "Did we, at any time, empower government to define for us the civil or religious institution of marriage?
If so, what part of the Federal or State Constitution contains such an enumerated power?"
Submitted by REVEREND Joe Baytzim (not verified) on Fri Oct. 24, 2008 4:47 PM PDT.
Many people don't realize that if Proposition 8 passes, many MAINSTREAM churches will be outlawed! Please VOTE NO ON PROP 8 and save our Church.
Submitted by Tom McMasters-Stone (not verified) on Fri Oct. 24, 2008 8:43 PM PDT.
This is such a basic civil rights issue for me, and
I love all these conservative religious groups paying for commercials that are lying through their teeth. That's the 9th commandment, right? Above Masturbation, and just below Do Not Eat Meat on Friday? Catholics and Mormons are the most discriminated against religions in the world, after the Jews, and how they then turn on others is beyond belief- especially since the Pope is the head of a foreign country.
I need a t-shirt: "Pope Benedict Arnold asks you to obliterate the Separation of Church and State, and impose your religious beliefs on others, in the name of God..."
Brings a tear to my eye. Can't be a coincidence- there are not there many people in the world named Benedict.
I love Apple. I love Google. These are two of a small handful of companies willing to stand up for civil rights of our great state.
It is for this reason that I will continue purchasing and using their products. Not only are the products great, but the people and companies behind the products care about civil rights. I will take that any day over a fundamentalist church!
My fellow Americans:
Don't panic! Don't let fear intimidate us and most of all do not let ignorance overcome us. We, the people, need to stand firm behind our beliefs. America is about to be reborn. She's very much alive. We need to bring her to the next level - new millennium, new mentality, and therefore new blood. Let us leave our prejudices behind. Let's armor ourselves with hope and courage. We must do the right thing for America. She's alive and well. She's going through some difficult times. She is battered, and deprived and tired. But, don't be fooled! She's [still] standing.
America shall overcome all of these obstacles. We need to stand behind her by opening our hearts and minds.
As our soldiers; black, white, yellow, red, etc. are fighting united to bring freedom and peace to other nations, let us do the same here. Let us keep America united and peaceful for their safe return. Our soldiers stand firm with their rifles at hand or are laid to rest proud as Americans. The rhythm of their feet is America's beating heart. Let's imitate them. I can almost hear them. Why can't you? Open your hearts and minds!
Just as a mother awaits her children's return from a long journey, much like a wife awaiting a warm kiss from her beloved, so does America await this election.
It's time. The whole world is watching us; friends and foes. It's time for the KKK to unveil its mask of ignorance. It's time for Wall Street to stop using the American dollar frivolously. It's time for the Government to be accountable for its people. Most of all it's time for us the people to stand behind what we truly believe in and declare, "We are one nation".
Regards,
"Gay" Marriage is a contradiction of terms as marriage is a way of producing "Offspring!"Now there can be a "Civil Union"with persons of the same sex and I doubt that anyone would object to the term but that doesn't seem to be what the "Gay" Community wants so let's look at this from a Constitutional View-Freedom of Religion and Separation of Church and State would indicate that the Supreme Court would have to find for the Church on "Marriage" as it is a Sacrement of the Church-Bit of a problem if the topic goes to the Supremes!
Please stop confusing "Liberty" with "License!" Another example-Say I am a compulsive "Flasher", can't help it, my brain makes me flash and, therefore ,it is my Constitutional Right to "Flash!" Can't help wondering where this kind of thinking will end! Let's just do away with all laws and let people do what ever they want to do-complete and total Anarchy! Go for it!
Mr. Independent
There is a big difference between a sexual orientation and a sexual compulsion.
A sexual orientation is derived from our biological development before birth.
A sexual compulsion is derived from a developmental pathology after we are born.
And as the American Psychological Association has determined, homosexuality is not a mental disorder or pathology.
If you believe that it is a choice for anyone to be gay, then I suggest you try being gay and see how it works for you.
And on a personal note, I'd advise you to get some professional help yourself. Your thinking is as flawed as your argument.
Mr. Independent - As long as the state/city/any government issues Marriage Licenses, then they are not a sacrament of the church. Your church is still free to deny gay marriages in the same way that the Mormon Church could refuse to marry me because I'm Jewish. It is a simple requirement that a person be a member of the church in which they are being married, and many churches enforce this requirement. Then you can let the churches split over who accepts homosexuals and who doesn't (God Bless Episcopalians) and leave the state to do its function and regulate the paperwork involved.
Don't you people take God's laws over the laws of the state anyway? Can't you just go around telling married gays that their marriage doesn't count to God just like you tell them they are going to burn in hell?
You seem to be quite the opposite of independent, looking for the government to tell people how to live their lives. It's funny to me how fundamentalists don't want the government to pay taxes, but they do want the government to protect them from anything they might deem offensive.
Lastly, in regard to your argument that homosexual marriage = flashing, I am going to avoid the nature/nurture argument entirely and focus on the fact that if you are as offended by a ring on a man's finger as you would be by a man's penis, than you are even more moronic than I ever gave you credit for. A wedding ring is not going to encourage gay couples to engage in PDA any more than it would a heterosexual couple, and if the old joke rings true, once you get married, you stop having sex.
In short, I hope you are rendered infertile before you have the chance to raise an offspring to grow up like you.
MrIndependent, by your definition must both partners to said marriage union undergo fertility tests? the marriage of barren persons must be stopped! so must the elderly. Whom do they think they're kidding? it's not like they're going to produce any offspring!
Excellent arguements all-I have a background of a Receiving Hospital employee and inner-city Church Work so answer the following-Since I really do believe that what you do in the privacy of your own home with mutual consent of adults-Why does the Gay Community insist on bringing their behavior out in the open and ask everyone to vote on it? We are living in an age of "Shacking up", in and out relationships, and Co-Ed dorms-What gives with this -"We gotta be married crap?
Mr. Independent -
Gays did not "ask everyone to vote on it." In case you weren't aware, Proposition 8 will ban marriage and overturn existing law. It's the people who support Prop 8 who are injecting big government into the bedroom - they're the ones asking "everyone to vote on it."
If it weren't for these bigots trying to force their way into our bedrooms, we wouldn't be voting on it, or talking about it. It's because of people like yourself, who are keeping this non-issue afloat.
Hey anti-bigot,
I think you have your information incorrect. It was 4 Judges that decided to overturn the WILL of 4 million voters..!!!
Now we breeders, hahaha, have to overturn the wrongheadedness of those 4 judges.
UNDERSTAND...?? !!!
Bill
Little Billy Nigh,
What a fool you are.
The measure (not amendment) that was overturned in May was brought to voters by whom? That's right, the bigots who want big government to invade our bedrooms. So it wasn't "the gays" (I'm straight) who asked "everyone to vote on it," it was the bigots. I'm right. You're wrong.
Again, if it weren't for bigots trying to force their way into our bedrooms, we wouldn't be voting on it at all. The reason we're discussing this is because of people like yourself, who are keeping this non-issue afloat.
You call yourself a "breeder", so do think that a gay person can't reproduce?
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