First off a disclaimer... the post below is something I got texted via myspace from an old high school friend. She is very religious and currently that is what is helping her get through her difficult times. This is why I'm not going to get up in her face about it, however it is important for you all to realize that she does NOT live in California, nor does she have the right to vote in california. I know some people are concerned about the ever so popular Proposition 8 and want to voice their opinion over it, but really they should be doing that to people who can vote not a bunch of people who live no where near california. In essence you are harrassing them in the end.
In case anyone is unaware on what its about, go here
http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/11/04/ca/state/prop/8/.
And FYI my take on it...If I had a say I'd be voting No since equality is something all americans strive for and NO ONE should be descriminated against due to religion, color of skin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Heres the post:
"proposition 8 does three simple things:
It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and human history has understood marriage to be.
It overturns the outrageous decision of four activist Supreme Court judges who ignored the will of the people.
It protects our children from being taught in public schools that “same-sex marriage” is the same as traditional marriage.
Proposition 8 protects marriage as an essential institution of society. While death, divorce, or other circumstances may prevent the ideal, the best situation for a child is to be raised by a married mother and father.
The narrow decision of the California Supreme Court isn’t just about “live and let live.” State law may require teachers to instruct children as young as kindergarteners about marriage. (Education Code § 51890.) If the gay marriage ruling is not overturned, TEACHERS COULD BE REQUIRED to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage.
We should not accept a court decision that may result in public schools teaching our kids that gay marriage is okay. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It shouldn’t be forced on us against our will.
Some will try to tell you that Proposition 8 takes away legal rights of gay domestic partnerships. That is false. Proposition 8 DOES NOT take away any of those rights and does not interfere with gays living the lifestyle they choose.
However, while gays have the right to their private lives, they do not have the right to redefine marriage for everyone else.
CALIFORNIANS HAVE NEVER VOTED FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. If gay activists want to legalize gay marriage, they should put it on the ballot. Instead, they have gone behind the backs of voters and convinced four activist judges in San Francisco to redefine marriage for the rest of society. That is the wrong approach.
Voting YES on Proposition 8 RESTORES the definition of marriage that was approved by over 61% of voters. Voting YES overturns the decision of four activist judges. Voting YES protects our children.
Please vote YES on Proposition 8 to RESTORE the meaning of marriage."
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What I'm confused by in this argument is when they drag children into it. Prop 8 is about same sex marrige, not about children. Where in prop 8 does it state that the schools are going to start teaching about same sex marrige? Even if they do thats really the least of their worries. In fifth grade the teacher was reading us the Lorena Bobbet case from the news paper. Anyone else remember that? That same month through that fifth grade class, through the question from another fifth grader I learnt what oral sex was.
So its okay for me to learn what oral sex is, that a woman may be able to cut off a mans penis according to the laws of another country, and that even through she was raped she couldn't defend herself the way she was taught. However lord forbid I learn that two people of the same sex can get married if they choose to do so. Sounds crazy to me. I learnt about all the fighting between native americans and "pilgrims" when I was in second grade. I remember drawing a pilgrim with "dead eyes" for a project in school. In fourth grade when I lived in Okinawa we went on a field trip to the "suicide cliffs". In which you had to go through a series of caverns that actual japanese soldiers use to live in and then you learned what suppoku (sp?) was, and that mothers and fathers threw their kids off the cliffs and then themselves because the emporor commanded them to.
So in school you can learn about ritualized killings and war, rape and sex, but Lord forbid you learn that two people of the same sex can get married?
In school you are exposed to EVERYTHING. Thats why alot of schools have metal detectors for goodness sakes. Don't try and bring schools into this.
Truth be told children will learn what they want to learn.
You don't like it? Shell out that thirty grand for private school. Hell send them to catholic school where the nuns will smack your little angels around with rulers or duct tape their mouths if they sing while using the john. Props to my dad for that story!