The Aftermath/Political Hangover

This is a proud day in American history. The American people have firmly made the decision to push this country in a bold new direction. A direction not based on divisiveness and maintaining the status quo, but a direction that recognizes serious concern with the politics of the last decade. A direction that legitimately seeks to give a voice to those in need. A direction aimed at truly making this country a better place.

We did it. It finally happened. It was indescribable to see Obama finally walk out and give his acceptance speech. Two days later, it's still hard to believe it, like it's almost too good to be true. There's nothing more reassuring in this country than knowing that our voices, our beliefs, and our votes actually do mean something. It's turns out that there's still hope in the democratic process after all. The majority of people refused to be swayed by the robocalls, the false information, the name-calling, and all the other dirty tricks. People woke up and refused to fall victim to the problems that plagued the last two elections. Change did happen, and history was made.

After eight years of being let down by those in charge, of watching our civil liberties being dismantled one by one, of watching our alliances throughout the world gradually fall apart, of watching the national economy tank and watching millions of Americans suffer in the process, we now finally have a leader that we can actually have hope in. He might not be able to fix everything, but we can take comfort in knowing that he's actually going to make an effort to do so. The American people will now have a president won't just fight for the well-off and the special interests, but will fight to make everyone's lives better and make the country as a whole a lot stronger.

We will be better off. Just wait and see.


However, in California, this victory has been somewhat dampened by the passage of Prop 8, which now bans same-sex marriage within the state. Even in a solid "blue" state such as this, tolerance for others and a desire for equal rights apparently aren't universal beliefs. 52% of Californians have voted to strip people of the rights granted to them, to everyone, by the state. Keeping gay marriage legal would not have nullified anyone else's marriages or forced beliefs onto any children, religious organizations, or any other people that have a difference of opinion. Yet 52% of Californians still refused to acknowledge this fact, instead opting to impose a belief structure that systematically discriminates against certain people based on who they are and establishes a system that says we are not all created equal. It's unconstitutional, and it's un-Christian. Yet somehow, bigotry won. What's also troubling about the passage of this proposition is that it shows how state policy decisions, particularly in regard to social issues that affect the rights of thousands and thousands of people, can in fact be bought by special interests (in this case, the Mormon church).

I'm hopeful that the tide will turn though. Nothing will make me laugh harder than seeing this proposition eventually get overturned. Thousands of outraged citizens are looking for ways to fight this. The ACLU has already filed a lawsuit. The primary result of this proposition will be an explosion of legal battles about the legality of the ban and the status of all the same-sex couples who were legally married throughout the past year. If the courts don't overturn the ban in the next few months, then you can guarantee that this issue is going to come up again on the 2010 ballot. And you can guarantee that people aren't going to give up their civil rights without a fight. This is gonna be huge. Get ready.

In 2000, the original California gay marriage ban received 61% approval. Eight years later, the new ban only received 52% approval. A lot of people are dead-set in their ways and resistant to any form of change. But over time, people change and so do their attitudes. For people who aren't directly impacted by the gay marriage issue (i.e. every straight person in the state), it's only a matter of warming up to the idea of equal rights and treating gays with respect and tolerance. Things will change. It might take a few years, or it might take a few decades, but things will change.


In the midst of this disappointment, there were some unexpectedly positive results with the other state measures. The biggest news is that Prop 4, the abortion limitations amendment, was unexpectedly defeated 48% to 52%. This marks the third time in the past three years that that this restriction has been voted down. I have a feeling that the anti-choice crowd will fight to get it on the ballot for a fourth time in a year or two, but it's nice to know that the majority of voters still respect a woman's right to choose. And in South Dakota, a bill that would've banned abortion in most cases was defeated for the second time.

The other bills: the super awesome bullet train thingy won, children's hospitals and veterans get more money, and farm animals get bigger cage. Both energy bills failed, as did the "throw more people in prison" proposition. Prop 9 passed, while the rehab bill failed. And it looks like the redistricting proposition has passed by a slim margin, as did Measure R. And in San Diego, Mike Lumpkin ran a great campaign and turned what was supposed to be a landslide in a safe Republican district into an actual race, but he still came up short. Apparently, voters prefer inexperience and nepotism over credentials and good ideas. Would've been nice if the Democratic Party had actually given Mike some help, but unfortunately that's the way that a two party system works. He still fought a great fight though.

There were some interesting results is various other states, as well. The most interesting result would have to be the apparent re-election of Alaska's Ted Stevens. Apparently, Alaskans don't mind being represented by someone's who's literally now and convicted felon. Oh, those wacky Alaskans. The hilarity never ceases. UPDATE (11/18): Three weeks after election day, all the votes have finally been counted, and Democrat Mark Begich has officially defeated Ted Stevens! Justice and sanity have prevailed! What's interesting is that this now paves the way for the possibility of the Democrats having a filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats in the Senate. They're now at 58, with Minnesota and Georgia still yet to be decided. There were a few disappointments, like the re-election of Michelle Bachmann, whose McCarthy-esque rant on Hardball last month nearly cost her the race. But on the plus side, the Democrats made significant gains in both the House and the Senate. And two days later, the hotly-contested Senate race in Minnesota is still too close to call, but hopefully Al Franken will come out on top when's it's all said and done.

The amazing thing about the Obama victory isn't just the fact that he won, but the fact that he won by such a huge margin. I know the polls had been pointing that way for the past few weeks, but I still had doubts that he would be able to pick up Ohio, Florida, and Virginia, let alone solid "red" states like Indiana and North Carolina. After 2000 and 2004, I guess we were just expecting the Republicans to find a way to steal the country again. But here we are two days later, with joyful disbelief giving way to the realization that the good guys actually won this time! In the end, that crazy 50 state strategy actually kinda worked. McCain had to play defense in states that weren't even thought to be in play a month ago. For the last month, the McCain campaign was just grasping at straws, resorting to characterizing Obama as a socialist and a terrorist-sympathizer. And in the end, they were desperate enough to resort to calling Democrats and telling them that election day had been pushed back to Wednesday due to the high turnout! But in the end, hope triumphed over bullshittery. Definitely an impressive accomplishment for what was an amazingly well-run campaign. It'll stand out in history because it felt like more than just a presidential campaign; it became a nationwide force, a unified movement behind a powerfully inspirational figure. It was a great experience to be a part of.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with the GOP over the next four years. One option is to look at the polls and see how a majority of voters viewed Sarah Palin as a major drag on the Republican ticket. They can look at that and look for more substance and a more moderate stance to adopt, going past the Rovian politics of the past decade. Or they can look at the excitement she stirred up among the wingnut base that seemed to ignore her ethics violations and inexperience. They could look at her popularity and see it as the direction to take the party...which would be both frightening and hilarious. Fortunately, it seems like Palin is losing favor with more of Republican party, with criticism from anonymous McCain aides becoming increasingly public each day (my favorite revelation: she apparently didn't realize that Africa is a continent, not a country). So maybe, just maybe, decency and sanity will prevail. In the meantime, let's focus on the important thing: now we can rest easy knowing that Sarah Palin is not heading anywhere near the White House anytime soon.

I'm looking forward to see what the next few years bring. The campaigning and advertising are finally over with, but now we have a long and complex battle over equal rights to figure out. For now though, I'm completely burnt out. I think I'll sleep in tomorrow.

The Only Endorsements That Matter

First, the obvious one:

Barack Obama for President. Beyond all the hype and the inspirational speeches and the cool demeanor, Obama has laid out fundamentally sound plans for this country that will give a significant amount of help to those that need it. He'll fight for better health care coverage at lower costs, he'll help give more people the opportunity to go to college, he'll gradually end the war in Iraq in a careful and responsible manner, and the list goes on with plenty of reasons that have been endlessly discussed and analyzed. He's not the cure-all for all of this country's problems. But time and again, he's differentiated himself from most politicians by showing a genuine sense of compassion for the American people, coupled with ideas and solutions that demonstrate a strong understanding of how the world works and what this country needs. I mean, look at Obama compared to John Kerry's campaign four years ago. At this crucial time, we finally have a candidate that goes beyond the standard red state/blue state rhetoric and actually brings forward plans and a mindset that can give us hope for a better tomorrow, and that candidate is Barack Obama.

And now, the propositions

Prop 1A: Bond money to fund a high speed train - Our state is in the middle of a budget crisis, and we really don't have a lot of money to spend on projects that aren't totally essential. But the concept of a bullet train allowing for quick, easy travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego just sounds like too great of an idea to pass up. There are plenty of budget concerns here, but I'll probably be voting yes.

Prop 2: Slightly bigger cages for farm animals - It's sad that we need a statewide proposition for what should already be common sense. And the entire No on 2 argument has just been a bunch of xenophobic bullshit. Come on people, vote yes.

Prop 3: Bond money for children's hospitals - Sure, why not? Yes.

Prop 4: Establishes 48-hour waiting period and parental notification requirement for unemancipated minors seeking abortions, with limited exceptions - With all the hoopla going on about Prop 8, Prop 4 has kind of faded into the background, which is unfortunate because Prop 4 would make pretty serious changes to the state constitution as well. There were similar measures on the ballot in 2005 and 2006, and both were defeated. Now, it's back for a third time, and this time it seems to have a slight lead in the polls. Nobody likes abortion. And everybody cares about child safety. But this proposition is just another attempt to chip away at women's abortion rights. I'll tell ya this: if Prop 4 passes on Tuesday, then it would behoove you to buy stock in a coat hanger company on Wednesday. Proponents of Prop 4 are calling it "Sarah's Law," which is funny because the Sarah that the bill is named after wouldn't have fallen under the criteria of who this proposition will affect. A flyer that I received in the mail also called it the "Stop Child Predators" act, which is funny because the name has absolutely nothing to do with the proposition. Because of this, I've been inspired to start creating propositions with names that have nothing to do with what the proposition proposes. How bout this: a law that bans people from driving SUVs in the state of California, and we'll call it the "Protect Children From Deadly Sea Creatures" act. But anyway, back to my point... Prop 4 is dangerous. Pretty much every education and health organization in the state is strongly opposed to it. Please, vote NO.

Prop 5: Sends more non-violent drug offenders to rehab instead of prison - Sounds like a good idea. Too many of the people overcrowding our prisons are in there for drugs and other minor offenses. I'm not talking about granting parole to dangerous drug dealers or anything, just the people that the law feels would benefit more from rehab than they would from prison. I'm voting yes, although I'm not expecting it to pass.

Prop 6: More money for law enforcement, revisions to California criminal law - Makes a series of changes to state law, all designed to throw more people into our already overcrowded prisons, because that always solves everything, right? Nah.

Prop 7: Renewable energy requirements for government-owned utilities - A renewable energy bill that's opposed by every major environmental and conservation group out there. No thanks.

Prop 8: Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry - a.k.a. the Protect Marriage for Some and Abolish It for Others act, the Equal Rights Make Me Uncomfortable act, the Fred Phelps act, Prop H8, and the list goes on. I already wrote about this proposition at great length yesterday. To quote The Flaming Lips, no no no no no no no.

Prop 9: Notification of victims during sentencing, bail & parole hearings, releases, etc. - Most of the victims' rights provisions in here are already common practice. This proposition also includes several revisions to state law in the interest of taking rights away from prisoners. No thanks.

Prop 10: Money for renewable energy research and alternative fuel vehicles - See Prop 7. No.

Prop 11: Establishes redistricting commission - Right now, the state's legislative districts are based on boundaries drawn by members of the state legislature itself. Basically, the districts are gerrymandered in such a way that those holding office have little chance of ever being voted out. Democrats stay in charge of liberal-leaning districts, and Republicans stay in charge of conservative-leaning districts. I'm all in favor of redrawing the borders in ways that actually make sense geographically. And redistricting allows for a chance to hold elected officials more accountable for their actions. Vote yes.

Prop 12: Bond money to help veterans get affordable housing - Sure, why not? Yes.

Measure R (Los Angeles County only): Raises county sales tax from 8.25% to 8.75% with revenue going to improve roads, highways, and public transportaion - I hate the idea of raising the sales tax higher than it already is. But let's face it: the roads and highways in LA County suck. And the county is so big and spread out that public transportation remains largely ineffective for the majority of residents. It's time for an overhaul of the system. I'd say it's worth the slight tax increase. I'm voting yes.

And one bonus endorsement for anyone living in the 52nd Congressional District (which consists of La Mesa, Poway, and much of San Diego's East County): Mike Lumpkin for Congress. I've met the guy, my girlfriend has worked on his campaign for the past three months, and he's someone you absolutely need to vote for if you're able to. He has years of foreign policy and management experience as a former Navy SEAL, he's recognized as an official national security and international affairs expert, and he's got plenty of great ideas for how to fix our country's problems. And he's running against Duncan Hunter Jr. Remember Duncan Hunter? The guy who was running for the Republican presidential nomination eariler this year under an extreme anti-immigration platform and came in dead last in every primary he was a part of? Well he's retiring, and his 31 year-old son with no political experience is running to take his place. Please, don't let this happen. If you live in the 52nd district, vote for Mike Lumpkin.

Other great Congressional candidates I wish I could vote for: Al Franken, Kay Hagan, El Tinklenberg, Jim Martin, Charlie Brown, and of course, Dennis Kucinich.

Tomorrow's gonna be a big day. I'm terrified, but also very optimistic. After eight years of watching the country go down the toilet, a majority of people have woken up and realized that we need a real change of course in order to avoid falling apart completely. So please, don't forget to vote. There's simply too much at stake to sit this one out.

Come on, everyone. Let's go make some history.

What Would Jesus Do: A Very Thorough and Long-Winded Discussion of Prop 8

I’m a Christian and I’m straight. And as such, I believe that marriage is defined as the sacred union between a man and a woman. With that said, I am vehemently opposed to Prop 8. The entire Yes on 8 campaign has been built around lies and bigotry. The proposition itself seeks to rob thousands of Californians of the fundamental right to marry. It’s discrimination, plain and simple.

When it comes to personal issues, I’m a strong proponent of small government. I don’t believe that it’s the government’s place to exert their beliefs on people to the extent that it affects how we live our lives. This is where the idea of the separation of church and state comes in. Now I understand the core reason behind the support for Prop 8. The Bible defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In Genesis, God creates Adam and Eve. In Mark 10:6-8, Jesus reiterates this: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ ” So the Biblical definition remains clear. But not everyone in the country practices this form of religion and directly adheres to these beliefs. So is it really the government’s place to use this Biblical definition in the state or federal constitution?

Well, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As such, we’re all allowed to worship in whichever way we please, and no one religion will ever be forced on people. Faith is a deep, personal connection between a person and a higher power, not something imposed by the government. You can believe that marriage is the action of two people coming together and forming a lifelong union out of love, or you can believe that marriage is strictly between one man and one woman. That’s the beauty of living in a free country: we can have our own beliefs and perspectives and not be oppressed and mistreated because of them.

At least that’s the idea.

If Prop 8 passes, then the state re-inserts a Biblical perspective to the state constitution, effectively saying “Sorry, your relationship doesn’t count, based on a perspective that you don’t adhere to,” thus taking a crucial right away from thousands and thousands of people (not to mention the legal state of limbo that it puts the state’s currently legal gay marriages in). I’ll paraphrase something that Jesse Ventura said on a cable news show a few months ago: “It’s not the government’s job to tell people who they are and aren’t allowed to be in love with.” Citybeat Magazine makes a similarly effective point: “Hey, while we’re at it, why don’t we just put in [the constitution] that left-handed women can’t drive in the fast lane on the freeway. And we can say that Asians can no longer sit down in public parks—they have to keep walking. It’s the same thing.” In a country that was founded primarily on the basis of escaping religious persecution, it makes no sense to enforce a statewide policy that will result in discrimination on such a grand scale.

On the same news show, Jesse Ventura also said that the government should only recognize civil unions, and that the term “marriage” can then be left to be practiced and recognized by churches and other religious institutions. I think that this is a good approach to the situation. I don’t think that state governments are going to go about completely redefining the nature of legal relationships anytime soon, but the point remains the same: This is a complex issue with deep-seated stances on both sides of the argument. It’s something that going to require some real, complex thought and discussion before it can ever be fully resolved. Simply imposing a ban isn’t going to fix anything.

In an amusing epilogue to my church and state argument, yesterday I saw someone on a street corner holding up a sign that read “Prop 8 Is Less Government,” which is hilarious because if the government steps in and exerts control over people’s lives, then that would technically equate to MORE government. It’s just funny that their message has become so muddled that they don’t even know what they’re selling anymore.

I’m opposed to Prop 8 not just for libertarian reasons, but for Christian reasons as well. As a Christian, I believe in treating others with respect and dignity. Now it’s true that there are a few verses in the Bible saying that homosexuality is a sin. But Christianity is built around the teachings of Jesus, who gives us plenty of great rules to live by: “love your neighbor as yourself,” “whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did for me,” “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” In fact, pretty much all of Luke chapter 6 is filled with amazing advice about mercy, judgment, and hypocrisy. In short, it’s our duty as Christians to love those around us, whether we agree with them or not. We’re supposed to lead by example, whether that means helping out the less fortunate or simply treating others with tolerance and kindness.

Proponents of Prop 8 need to realize that supporters of gay marriage just want gay couples to have the same rights and respect as straight couples. And if you’re truly secure in your faith, then something like the state’s definition of marriage shouldn’t rattle your spiritual foundation. Regardless of opinions and religious beliefs, it should always be a priority to work for others rather than yourself, to act out of a desire for peace and compassion. If expanding this right brings happiness and respect to thousands of people, without taking away anyone else’s rights or attacking their beliefs, then I feel it should be in our best interest to tolerate a slight difference of opinion and welcome that happiness into people’s lives.

The campaigning for Prop 8 has obviously done more harm than good. Not only is it built on lies and discrimination, but claiming to do all of this in God’s name is making Christianity look bad in the process. And they might be stirring up strong support among the hardcore conservative base, but they’re driving moderate and liberal Christians like myself away in the process. (In my case, I’m referring to individual churches, not Christianity as a whole.) When churches focus this heavily on politics, these arguments about minor details often end up overshadowing the key tenets at the core of Christianity.

My girlfriend and I used to regularly attend a mega-church in San Diego called The Rock. It was a nice place: good sermons, good worship services, a very sizable and devoted constituency. But earlier this year, we started gradually becoming turned off to the church. On several occasions in the sermons, they would make reference to a bill that had recently been passed by the state as an example of the loosening moral structure of our society. This bill, we were told, forbids teachers from using the words “mother” or “father” in the classroom. We were also told that this bill also allows boys to use the girls’ restroom if they decide one day they feel like being a girl, and vice versa. Oh the outrage! What will those activist judges think up next? If you actually look at the bill, you’ll see that all that the bill does is make a few small amendments to the state education code to make sure that schools try to make an effort to ensure that kids aren’t being treated unfairly or discriminated against based on their “disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.” Somehow, the desire to give kids a fair and comfortable learning environment was interpreted by conservatives as an outrageous attack on morality of our society. Go figure.

This line of thinking has surfaced again in the Prop 8 ads. The main argument put forth by Prop 8 supporters is that if the proposition doesn’t pass, young children will be forced to learn about gay marriage in schools and be taught that it’s okay to be gay. (Learning about tolerance and something that exists in the world?! GASP!) This is a troublesome argument because it takes a viewpoint that likens homosexuality to some evil, brainwashing cult. It seems like many of the proponents of Prop 8 believe that homosexuality is not something that people are born with or develop in the earliest stages of life, but instead is the result of recruitment and indoctrination by extremists pushing the radical gay agenda.

Now I’m not a psychologist or a sociologist, so I don’t know how it all works, but I seriously doubt that straight people simply choose to make a life-changing decision to become gay because they were persuaded to by those godless heathens and their liberal media. To quote David Cross, some kid isn’t sitting at home thinking, “Everyone hates me, and the girls that I like don’t like me, and I don’t know what to do, and the thought of having sex with another man is physically repellent to me…but y’know, maybe it’s time I invited even MORE nonstop harassment into my life…”

And besides all that, the argument is completely untrue. Schools are not forced to teach students about marriage, neither gay nor straight. Since gay marriage was legalized, California schools have not adopted a statewide policy of teaching children about gay marriage. This argument is nothing but a deceptive PR campaign to convince voters that Prop 8 is about protecting the hearts and minds of innocent children, when in fact it’s about taking away people’s rights and has nothing to do with children whatsoever.

We tried to find a new church in San Diego after unofficially leaving The Rock, and we decided to go to a nearby place called the Skyline Church. The first half hour or so consisted of worship service, which was all good. Immediately after, a speaker starting talking about the legalization of gay marriage and the threat it poses to all of us. We tried to be open-minded: “Okay, we don’t agree with what they’re saying, but let’s hear them out and see what the actual service is going to be about.” But the political lecturing just kept going on and on. He went on about the activist judges…

(And honestly, anytime someone uses the phrase “activist judges,” I instantly tune out. I find that people have a very subjective definition of the term. If the courts change the law in the interest of fairness and equality, then they’re evil activist judges who want to push their extreme agendas with no regard for the Constitution or the will of the people. But if they change the law to restrict or discriminate against certain people, then they’re not considered activist judges? I just don’t get it. But I digress…)

He listed off websites for us to go to. He encouraged us to pray for 8 minutes every day at 8 am and 8 pm for the passage of Prop 8. He even took time to talk about how outrageous and inappropriate it was that schools want to recognize a Harvey Milk Day once a year (which isn’t technically true; a bill was passed in the state legislature but it was vetoed by Schwarzenegger). I found it odd that this church was taking the time to mock and berate a public official who was ASSASSINATED for being gay. After 10 minutes of political lecture masquerading as the Word of God, we got up and left.

I go to church to receive inspiration, to see how to apply scripture to my life, to learn how I can follow Christ’s example and become a better person. Being lectured and instructed to vote a certain way is not one of the reasons that I want to go to church, nor should it be for anyone else. It’s one thing to bring up political topics in church if the aim is to help people and spread the gospel. Semantics arguments and fighting to take people’s rights away do not meet those criteria. Last weekend, I visited californiansagainsthate.com, which has a list of all the major donors to the Yes on 8 campaign. Sure enough, what organization was credited with donating $25,000 to the Yes on 8 fund? The Rock Church in San Diego.

The first thing that came to my mind was “I’m glad we got out when we did.” If the politicizing was a little unsettling a year ago, I hate to think about what’s going on there now. Of course, the second thing that came to my mind was “Wow, $25,000. That could’ve fed a lot of homeless people.” I just find it disturbing that millions of dollars have been poured into this campaign by religious organizations when that amount of money could have done SO MUCH to help the less fortunate. But no, adding a couple of words to the state constitution is apparently more important.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people who are well off go through their lives believing that they truly are victims in our society. It doesn’t matter if they have a secure, well-paying job, or if they’ve never been treated badly based on their race or gender, or if they’re part of the most prominent religious denomination in the country. Some people feel like they’re constantly under attack by all the people out there who have different beliefs and opinions than theirs. This mindset is at the core of Prop 8. When the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, a significant amount of the Christian community viewed that decision not as a gesture of tolerance and equality, but as a full-fledged assault on their beliefs and practices.

But in the midst of this heated cultural debate, the supporters of Prop 8 seem to overlook one important thing: Marriage is still a sacred bond, regardless of how the state defines it. If a man and woman want to get married in the state of California, as long as they’re getting married for the right reason (marrying for love would be an example of a “right” reason, marrying solely for tax benefits would not), then of course their coming together is still a meaningful union to God, themselves, and everyone in their lives. You don’t have to agree with EVERY decision made by your state, federal, or local government. Nobody’s going to force churches to perform gay weddings or go against their own principles.

If Prop 8 fails and the state upholds a definition of the word “marriage” that you don’t necessarily agree with, it’s not the end of the world, because that slightly-altered definition isn’t going to take your rights away or treat you as a second-class citizen. The legalization of gay marriage does not nullify the significance of traditional marriages or force people to adhere to any beliefs that they aren’t comfortable with.

However, if Prop 8 does pass, it WILL take people’s rights away and treats gays as second-class citizens.

So please, for the love of God and all that is holy, vote no on prop 8.