I Would Vote No On Proposition 8 « John Raul dot Com

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If I was Californian, I would absolutely vote "NO" on proposition 8 without hesitant, without second thoughts. Not because I feel that it’s just right, it’s because it is threatening a very fundamental right to all Californian citizens to be able to marry to whom they love, regardless of theocratic affiliations and personal ideologies. I voice this out in the middle of my technological world, as I strongly believe that the state of California is the bellwether and a trendsetter that could finally end discrimination against gay people and begin a new era that will encourage everyone worldwide to accept people regardless of their age, sexual orientation, religious affiliations, race and ethnicity.

My Experience

I grew up with strong religious beliefs I learned from my two heterosexual parents who are devout Catholic. They disgust homosexuality in the way the Church and the conservative Philippine society is disgusting it. One that is publicly identified to be a gay person incurs unreasonable shame, defamation, discrimination and exclusion in many sectors in society (although tolerance to them have significantly becoming observable in the recent years). Most straight people may find that situation reasonable and right, and they may rejoice to see the world works the way they want it and the way they believe it, but they have completely overlooked many gay people, a significant minority in the society, that to them such discrimination feels like a sharp knife directly stabbing the heart eliminating their right to be happy for a lifetime.

Personally, as I experienced it in my very fluid yet meaningful very exciting life, I feel this sort of discrimination is wrong. No matter who I am and who I may become, I strongly believe that anyone, not even the government, has no right to eliminate a fundamental right to experience lifetime happiness, to being recognized in the society the marriage to whatever person I choose to tie knots with, and to be treated in the community equally — under the law.

Fears About Its Consequences

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In my understanding, people oppose the Proposition 8 mainly for its potential consequences across young minds and the future of society (although significant part is also played the role by religious affiliations like the Mormons and the Christian Churches). I found their reasoning as unreasonable "fears." In Proposition 8′s recent ads, they have used the kids and lies to scare Californians, when in fact the basic issue is about a measure that would eliminate the rights of gay people to be married. It’s like telling someone, "Don’t go out or you may die" and this reasoning is a desperate move to persuade and entice people to favor them.

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It has been clarified by California’s Public Schools Superintendent Chris O’Donnell that there is no curriculum that teach marriage in any form inside the four corners of classrooms. Additionally, since local Californian districts can have the option to integrate it, the education law and standards only emphasize that the objectives of such must promote respect to marriage and all kinds of committed relationships.

Win or lose with Proposition 8, I doubt that it would stop people from showing their true nature in the society. Remember, gay people are people that came from straight communities and their existence nor their fight for equal treatment will not stop unless granted. If you deprive equal rights to them because it is against your minding and beliefs, you will have put mankind to halt to stop their existence.

In recent polls, I share sentiments with majority of Californian people: 52% who are against Proposition 8, and 44% to those who favor. It is remarkable that the groups who are against it include the following:

• Equality For All
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Barack Obama
• Joseph Biden
• U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
• U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer
• Mayors of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego
• All California’s Largest Newspapers
• The New York Times
• League of Women Voters of California
• Google
• Apple
• Episcopal diocesan bishops of California
• Jewish Groups
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• California Teachers Association
• Steven Spielberg
• Brad Pitt
• T.R. Knight
• Dana Delaney
• Eric Wentz
• David Geffen
• Ellen DeGeneres

The list is overwhelming and these forces are against Proposition 8. They believe hatred against a minority group of people should not be written in California’s constitution. So do I.

Conclusion

For many years, gay people and those who feared to come out from the closet have worked hard to obtain equal rights as each of the citizen of the community deserves regardless of their orientations. They are our brothers and sisters and like any person, they also exist in the same society where we belong. Therefore they deserve the same rights and under the law these privileges go beyond who you are, what you are, and what you believe. We’ve seen them soar in many sectors in our society and eliminating their right to be happy isn’t just the solution. Countries like Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, and many others have already legalized same-sex marriage, and guess what, the communities there didn’t become unpleasant to everybody. They just exercised what is right and the world has to see it. I’m pretty sure people from those countries are not all gays, and nothing is wrong if that would be the cause.

Marriage should not be a thing on which government should decide for, and it’s nobody’s business to care who your neighbor will marry. So, if you are a Californian and you are reading this, I encourage that you vote "No" on proposition 8 — because if I could, then I absolutely would.

Donate now to defeat Proposition 8.

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