California Proposition 8 Passes: 21st Century Hate

photo credit: AFP/Google

Special to the Blog:
Op/Ed by MW Savant, CEO


In an article via AFP entitled Californians vote to ban gay marriage, there is certainly no room left for interpretation. Proposition 8 was voted in and upon by California voters.

What does this mean to the thousands of couples who chose to wed, LEGALLY, while they could? Well the Attorney General says they'll remain valid, but that legal challenges are possible.

It is utterly inconceivable that just over fifty percent of the residents of the state, upset about the supreme court ruling and those "activist judges", could really be so cruel as to prevent GLBT couples from marrying--- after the right was already granted. How could you??

What a heartless and myopic and cruel thing to do to fellow Americans and Californians.
Just one day after the election of a President who appears to speak to unity and fairness, Proposition 8 rears its horrible head as the exact opposite. But what have its backers really accomplished?

If they were going for appearing incapable and unwilling to live and let live: Done. To cling to the bigotries of the past under the disingenuous guise of "protecting the sanctity of marriage"... done. To fight, ruthlessly, for a raison d'Etre...OK. To blindly, and without comprehension of the damages being done to thousands of GLBT couples and families, enact and support some hatefully Draconian resolution? They did it! If they wanted to punish people that they don't particularly care for... mission accomplished. They must be so proud.

Like it or not, in case they hadn't stopped hating long enough to have observed last evening's historic mandate... times, they are a- changed. The country said "enough" to bigotry and hatred ---to fear and animosity--- and hello to inclusion and mutual respect for our fellow human beings. Without regard for "what" they happened to be.

I am horrified and disgusted by the passage of Resolution 8! I am terrified that, in this century, people continue to choose to oppress fellow citzens--- swaddled in the cloak of righteous indignation and preservation of an "institution".

While I respect anyone's right to have their opinions, I cannot idly abide unabashed bigotry. The Prop. 8 backers know as well as I (and the REST of California) that NONE of the GLBT marriages that have taken place have in any way damaged, harmed, demeaned or threatened their own marriage(s). Nor would ones in future. So what was this really all about?

I am ashamed that certain of my countrymen elected to take away another human being's rights. The 18,000 (+/-) weddings constitute the proof that loving couples need, and desire, to make their relationships "real" and in terms that absolutely no one could fail to grasp. "Married".
It is a hurtful, hateful, reprehensible thing to take away marriage that was legal, for no other reason than what appears, on its face, to be sour grapes and inhumane sport. But you won. Congratulations. How many strangers have you now harmed?

While the current marriages will remain valid, legal challenges are likely.

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up
because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade
unionists,
And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And
then they came
for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . .
they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one
left to speak up."

-Pastor Martin Niemöller
(1892–1984)

Perhaps , someday, you'll need someone to speak up for you. There is no gray area in equality.

We'll continue to fight for marriage equality for all.


RELATED: SF city attorney prepares legal challenge to Prop 8



Editor's Note: The opinion expressed above is entirely that of MW Savant and does not, necessarily, reflect the view(s) held by savvyplanners.com™, LLC, its principals, affiliates or subsidiaries. However, in this case it DOES.

Full disclosure: savvyplanners.com donates to and supports organizations advocating for full marriage equality.