Commitment is GOOD for ALL of Us!

Amazingly enough, on November 4th, we in California are being asked yet again if we support same-sex marriage (don't they get it yet, YES!) or more accurately, according to Proposition 8, if we would like to see discrimination written into our state constitution in the form of a law against same-sex marriage (don't they get it yet, NO!). Here we go again. I support marriage between too committed people. I think it is good for my neighborhood, good for my county, good for my state, and society in general. For me, it represents a basic freedom of happiness - a basic freedom, period. I'm proud to vote NO on prop 8. A good friend of mine wrote up some great facts about same-sex marriage issues (like did you know that in 30 states you can be fired from your job for being gay?). I am reprinting what he wrote to me here because it is so well written.

Remember on November 4th, VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 8!

·         The state’s financial analysts have reported that Proposition 8 will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the next few years as the additional tax revenues created by same-sex marriages are eliminated.  This will cost the state and especially county and city governments millions which will have to be made up in some way – through cuts in services or higher taxes.

·         California’s constitution and the Federal constitution fully protect the right of any religion to determine who can and cannot marry.  The Catholic church, or any church, will not have to recognize any marriage (many religions today don’t recognize marriages after divorce). This discussion is about civil rights, not religious rights.

·         California’s constitution is generally seen as one of the best in the nation when it comes to protection of human rights.  The California constitution’s equal protection clauses provide more complete protection than the US Constitution’s 14th amendment – meaning that the government is more strictly prevented from interfering in our lives.  Proposition 8 would change this and open the door to further changes in the future - all by a simple majority vote.

·         Why is it important that California set an example? Because in 30 states*, you can be fired for no other reason than being gay.  Think of that.  What if you could be fired for being a women, or being white or black, or for having children?  That’s the level of uncertainty millions of Americans face every day.  It’s tough to live your life when you don’t have any economic security whatsoever.  California’s current laws are examples for the rest of the nation and the world in this regard, and cause others to think before taking action that would restrict rights.
 
* States that permit workplace discrimination against gays: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Alaska,  Also the US Federal Government and the US Military.
 
States that prohibit workplace discrimination: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii.