A Sad Day for Equal Rights

Today, the California Supreme Court handed out their decision on the controversial Proposition 8, passed by voters last November.

Their ruling, tragically, was in favor of upholding the proposition. In their edict, the justices stated that the actual ruling concerned whether or not voters had the right to amend the state's constitution, and in upholding the proposition, claimed that, yes, voters had that right.

Sadly, everyone, (including the judges), has missed the point by light years. That point being that the entire 'gay'/lesbian marriage/domestic partner issue is about equal rights for all people. In upholding Prop. 8, a serious blow has been dealt to the rights of a very large number of individuals.

Furthermore, the main opponents of this controversial proposition were religious right-wing church holier-than-thou people, who seem to have no clue whatsoever that any pronouncements about "morality," and "what god finds offensive," are the purview of churches, and not of the state.

Indeed, by the voters passing this proposition, and the judges in upholding it, our guarantee of separation of church and state has been sorely undermined. Remember, that guarantee is federal, found in the U.S. Constitution; it is not up to the State of California to overturn our federal rights.

Anyone who bothered to pay attention, or do a minimal amount of digging knows that the main funding, advertising campaigns and backing in favor of this horribly discriminatory piece of legislation came from two of the largest churches on the planet: the Catholics and the Mormons.

That is about as far wrong as anything can get! Deny it though they might, the paper trail speaks for itself.

Now, given our guaranteed separation of church and state, what business to churches, as organization, have messing about in our political process in the first place, and attempting (and often succeeding) in influencing the vote? No business whatever, that's what! This needs to be banned, and stopped, or we will soon find ourselves stripped of all the freedoms our forefathers worked and fought to put into place.

Let us not forget that this country was founded by people fleeing from religious persecution! The pilgrims wanted to worship as they saw fit. Their descendants assured that right to all future generations with their wise clause in the constitution making sure church stayed out of state business, and vice-versa. This also includes the right of atheists to have their views, and also not be persecuted for any 'failure to worship.'

Now, these people who call themselves the "moral majority," (which, by the way, is neither!), want to take all these protections away from everyone based on their own selfish, uneducated, intolerant, and yes, even brainwashed views! For as soon as the way is cleared for the oppression of any one group, or the removal of any guaranteed rights, the way is paved to make the next attack on anyone's rights all the easier.

The time has come for a rebellion! Rebel against moneyed special interests. Rebel against churches influencing state issues. Rebel against self-appointed religious "watchdogs" dictating to others how their lives should be lived.

It does not matter if these people hold the opinion that the gay "lifestyle" is "an "abomination to god." So what? What someone else does in their private life doesn't hurt these judgemental folks. It is, in the end, only their opinion (and we all know what those are worth!) The matter is still none of their business, and it is not their responsibility to babysit anyone else's "immortal soul." That is strictly the business of each individual unto himself. And incidentally, it's a pretty presumptuous position to take that any human knows the mind of any 'god.'

(And no, being 'gay' or lesbian is NOT a 'choice' or 'lifestyle'; it's a biological difference, and this is scientifically proven!) They need to do their homework before they spout off. Furthermore, if one believes in a god that supposedly "made everyone and everything," then that entity also made homosexuals...so to rail against homosexuality is, in the end, to find fault with the very god they claim to worship as the creator of all things. So if this godhead made people that are gay or lesbian, then are the complainers saying that their god made... junk? Ironic, isn't it?

Truth be told, nothing is new under the sun. Homosexuality has always been part of the human condition. The only difference in the modern era is the speed at which news travels combined with more openness and willingness to discuss formerly 'taboo' topics.

If these folks would follow the advice of "Live, and Let Live," and just mind their own business, the country, and even the world would be a much better and happier place.