Yes, I had an earlier post about the discriminatory nature of Proposition 8. But it was long and somewhat obtuse. Here's the gist, short and sweet:
At one time California had laws that discriminated based on race and ethnicity. We've moved beyond that, as you'd expect from the greatest, most diverse and accepting state in the Union. There's no reason to backtrack.
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"Would you take the wings from birds so that they can't fly? Would you take the ocean's roar and leave just a sigh?"
Lyrics from the song Don't Take Your Love from Me, written by Henry Nemo and performed by Nancy Wilson (among many others including Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Louis Prima and Keely Smith, Julie London, etc.)
There's a new day dawning that belongs to you and me. There's a new voice humming; you can hear it if you try."
Coming in peace. Coming in joy."
Not sure what you want for the future of this great nation, but I know what I want. It's specified in the clip above and I'll be voting appropriately on 4 Nov 2008.
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New World Coming
Song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, performed by Nina Simone (and covered by Mama Cass)
Now because he knows that his economic theories don't work, he's been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. Lately he's called me a socialist, for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class." — Senator Barack Obama
Personally, I believe sharing your PB&J makes you a good American, not a bad American. But clearly that's because I'm a godless heathen who wants our enemies to prevail.
There are a lot of claims and counter-claims circulating about California Proposition 8.
Sometimes — as when determining grammatical structure or mathematical function — a helpful technique is to substitute a different value for one of the primary variables in the matter at hand, be it a sentence or equation. This can remove, for example, a semantically loaded element and replace it with something more universally accepted. Without the emotional cloud overhead, you can better evaluate the matter objectively.
One group has done this, taking an advertisement in favor of Prop 8 and substituting "interracial" for "same sex."
This substitution deftly manifests the discriminatory nature of the proposition. It makes clear what could have been confusing: Proposition 8 has only one goal, to codify prejudicism into the California Constitution so that the opinions of a few narrow-minded individuals become law for tens of millions of Californians.
Now — on the cusp of what could be a glorious 21st Century — there are very few people who would even attempt to defend a ban on marriage between different races, or different religions, or different classes. We've all seen many happy unions, and have probably learned to not even speculate on how a given match will fare in the future. Sure, he parties all night and she spends all day ministering to the aged and infirm; that doesn't mean they won't have a long and fruitful marriage.
So remember, when you go to vote: No on H8, No on Prop 8.
Just yesterday I heard someone say of Barack Obama, "there's nothing there." This is a persistent charge against Senator Obama, frustrating not just because it's false but because there's abundant information available to refute it.
So it got me thinking I could gather Obama's most recent and relevant policy positions into a blog post, only to find the hyper-efficient Obama/Biden campaign had just posted a fantastic two-minute video summary:
Here are the major points:
Stimulate economy with a tax cut for 95% of working Americans. Families making less than $200,000 a year will get a tax cut, which will directly improve their finances.
End tax breaks for companies that relocate jobs overseas, and instead create tax credits to reward companies that create new jobs for Americans.
Help small businesses, the true economic engine of America, weather these tough times with low-cost loans.
Position America to be competitive in an uncertain future by working to reduce the healthcare costs that are a massive drag on our economy, breaking our dependence on foreign oil so we're not reliant on some of the world's most unstable regions, and making sure all American children have the education they need to succeed.
Bring about a responsible end to the war in Iraq, a war that costs the US $10 billion a month. Yes, $10 billion every month, even though the Iraqi budget now shows a surplus and we currently have the largest deficit this country has ever seen.
Active management of the new bailout plans underway, so that the benefit goes to taxpayers, not corporate officers.
End the current tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of this nation's citizens so as to fund tax cuts for 95% of all working Americans.
Close corporate tax loopholes, often inserted into spending bills and budgets at the last minute by lobbyists working for companies and industries.
Audit all Government spending, with the goal of ending programs that don't produce cost-effective results.
Clear, reasoned, responsible plans that will better America by directly benefiting the vast majority of Americans. Substance centered around what this country needs right now. Right there for all to see.
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