February 11, 2000

11:18 AM

The most disgusting things I've seen in California this year are the parents against a student group and Propsition 22. Last night, I saw that support for prop 22 was leading in the polls, which I find incomprehensible. The LA Times has a summary of what religious leaders think about it, and there's a protest against the proposition by 400 clergymen this weekend. If even these guys have problems with it, why would the average citizen support it? Hopefully reason will win out on this one, but unfortunately, if you haven't already registered to vote in CA, it's too late for this primary election.
posted by mathowie (5 comments total)

I love the slogan at the No on Knight (anti Prop 22) website: "California is better than this" - I wish I believed that. One of the reasons I am loathe to move away from California is that I consider it to be a much less narrow-minded state (vs. other places I have lived)... but things like this (and prop 186 aka "deport them wetbacks") are eroding my sense of egalitarian pride. Sure, it's narrow minded and conservative Behind the Orange Curtain, but I like to think that the rest of us live up to the slogan. If we aren't better than this, we damn well should be.
posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 11:57 AM on February 11, 2000

Wow, thanks for pointing this out Matt. I wasn't even aware that this was on the ballot!
posted by megnut at 11:59 AM on February 11, 2000

purpose statement on the "project marriage" site says "[prop 22] does not take away anyone’s rights or attack any group of people or their family. It merely affirms the irreplaceable role of marriage between men and women in our society." -- what a joke. the only reason to affirm m/f marriage is to deny same-gender couples equal rights. how disgusting.
posted by palegirl at 12:10 PM on February 11, 2000

When somebody tells me "Well, Prop 186/209 must be OK, since it was passed by the people", I point out that, in November of 1964, California passed overwhelmingly a proposition (#14) to override the Federal Fair Housing Act. Of course that was the same year an initiative (#15) passed outlawing Pay TV. History repeats itself like a bad burrito.
posted by wendell at 12:28 PM on February 11, 2000

a gay and lesbian group supports prop 22: "A spokeswoman for the opposition campaign dismissed Gays for 22 as a tiny fringe group whose comments will have little influence on the fate of the measure. 'We congratulate [our opponents] on putting so many resources into finding the five gay people who support Prop. 22,' said the spokeswoman, Tracey Conaty. 'It looks to us like a pretty desperate move.'"
posted by palegirl at 5:20 PM on February 11, 2000