Weighing In

Oh, how I love election year. I really do. I enjoy all of the political banter (CNN on the left, FOX on the right, SNL in the middle (?) (side note: Tina Fey = hI-LARious), and the debates are interesting too (except that last one. bo-ring.) I also really like learning about the issues and voting my conscience on election day. And I even like watching the results roll in, although my votes aren't usually *winners*, oh the plight of a conservative from California.

Anyway, I've been giving a great deal of thought to Prop 8 these past few weeks. I've been working at a phone bank speaking with voters about the issue, and I feel like there are some misconceptions out there, and some of the ads and signs I've seen are perpetuating them.

Misconception #1. People who are PRO proposition 8 are ANTI gay. That is a pretty broad generalization, and I'm sure that there are some who are, but I would say that most of us aren't. We are pro preserving the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Misconception #2. Proposition 8 denies same-sex couples the rights of marriage. As of 2007, California domestic partnerships are afforded ALL of the same rights and responsibilities as marriages under state law (California Family Code Section 297.5).

Misconception #3. Proposition 8 is analogous to the "separate but equal" racial laws of the Jim Crow era. Everyone has the right to marry if they choose. Everyone has the right to be in a domestic partnership if they choose. But those are two different things, by DEFINITION.

It's an important issue, the implications of which we may not fully understand. So study it and all the issues in your handy voter guide, be an informed voter, and don't forget to vote on November 4th! What an awesome country we live in - thank goodness for democracy and for our constitution. God Bless America!!