California, my birth state, was always out front, comprised of thinking, intelligent people. Homosexuality was seldom an issue. But ever since the extreme religious right started feeling their oats, feeling superior to a minority people, their ignorance and bigotry now prevails over intelligence and reason. There is little more despicable than the perceived superiority of the majority over a minority. The majority decision on gay marriage defies the equal rights guaranteed by the state constitution, and is the epitome of un-Americanism. A sad day for equal rights. Personal prejudice has no place in a state constitution, nor does prejudice of any kind. Abe Lincoln said: “Our new nation was conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The religious right lacks that equality based on their superiority!
Bob Bates, Bend
This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2008.
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God, after reading your goofy letters-to-the-editor all these many years, I should have known that you were a Californicator. Buddy, it wasn’t the extreme religious right that passed prop 8…it was the blacks!
“God, after reading your goofy letters-to-the-editor all these many years, I should have known that you were a Californicator. Buddy, it wasn’t the extreme religious right that passed prop 8…it was the blacks!”
As a friend of Bob Bates, Tom, I can assure you you don’t know what your are talking about. Bob devoted an enormous amount of his time, instead of making money for himself and his family, to help save Topanga Canyon from developers. Can you claim anything comparable?
As far as Prop 8 was concerned, check who financed all the campaign for that measure. It was a wide range of people, including blacks and religious groups.
Tom,
First of all, the Mormon church donated more than half of the pro-prop 8 money in this election cycle. Secondly, if no african americans had voted in the election, prop 8 still would have passed, just barely. Try and get your “facts” from some places other than Faux New and right wing radio once in a while. Really, I can see only one reason that you would blame “the blacks” for this and it isn’t good.
Bill Bodden said:
“God, after reading your goofy letters-to-the-editor all these many years, I should have known that you were a Californicator. Buddy, it wasn’t the extreme religious right that passed prop 8…it was the blacks!”
As a friend of Bob Bates, Tom, I can assure you you don’t know what your are talking about.
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Bill, it is obvious You don’t know what you are talking about! Tom remarked that Bob admitted he was from California, and Tom remarked “I should have known…” Are you saying that Bob is NOT from California?
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Cuz said:
Tom,
First of all, the Mormon church donated more than half of the pro-prop 8 money in this election cycle. Secondly, if no african americans had voted in the election, prop 8 still would have passed, just barely.
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That is a lie. The Mormons did not provide 50% of the millions spent to pass Prop8. They, just like the Catholics, Jews, Lutherans, Protestants, etc provided money, but no where near 50%.
And of course exit polls show that 70% of blacks supported Prop8. If no blacks voted in the last election, it is also a lie to claim that Prop* would have still passed. Blacks helped vote in Obama, and yes, they also helped vote in Prop8.
Next time you fabricate false ‘facts’, don’t bother, since it is too easy to refute your lies. Provide sources next time.
Mary Jane,
To quote the SF Gate, “The church largely stays out of politics. But in this case, the Salt Lake City-based church has sent letters, held video conferences and in church meetings asked for volunteers to support the campaign. In response, some church members have poured in their savings and undertaken what may be an unprecedented grassroots mobilization for the effort.
Prop. 8 is on pace to be the costliest race in the nation, except for the billion-dollar presidential election. The Yes on 8 campaign estimates that up to 40 percent of its donations come from Mormons. Some others estimate that Mormons account for over 70 percent of donations from individuals.” Did you catch that quote from the Yes on 8 people? Re-read it if you need to. You can find similar quotes in tons of major newspapers.
I also see that simple math eludes you. Work with me now…70% of a population that makes up 6.5% of the total population of California. Prop 8 passed by more than that margin. I didn’t say that they didn’t help to vote it in. I said that if no blacks voted, the proposition still would have passed, so it was false to say that “it was the blacks.” By the way, the census data is from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html.
By the way, you didn’t source your exit polling data.