Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Vote Early, Vote Often

I voted today. Did you? Since I'm maintaining my California citizenship, I voted by absentee ballot and mailed it in today. I was so nervous about it getting to its final destination, that I didn't trust putting it in our mailbox or in the big blue US mailbox down the street. I went to the post office and handed it over in person. "Get this to California! Pronto!"

California needs me. I'm not worried about the presidential part of the ballot, though. The issue that's on my mind on a daily basis is Proposition 8, which threatens to write discrimination clearly and permanently into the state constitution. If passed, on the evening of November 4, or perhaps in the early morning of November 5, thousands of married gay and lesbian couples will be told their marriages are meaningless. Can you imagine the pain and despair and the injustice that will be unleashed onto the world as thousands of voices cry out in despair? That anyone could stand in a voting booth and say, "I don't want you to be equal...ever" is mind-boggling. It is despicable and cruel, and yet it is a very real and looming possibility.

So California needs me to vote no on Prop 8. No matter what happens, I need my vote to be counted. Whether this is a final solution or if there is more discrimination to come, I want to make sure that history shows I voted no. But what the proponents of Prop 8 don't realize is that no matter what laws are passed or what insidious words of hatred are written into the constitution, they will always fail at their ultimate mission. For no one, no matter how wealthy or powerful or bigoted or ignorant, will ever erase the love and dignity I and millions of other gays and lesbians share with our partners. We will not go away. We will not disappear. We will only grow stronger.

No matter what the polls say, and that includes the hourly presidential election polls, make sure you vote. Don't be complacent. Don't think that your vote doesn't matter, because it's never mattered more.

Thank you. I approved this message.

2 comments:

DeAnn said...

Im voting "NO!" on Prop 8... It's just the right thing to do. Im voting No because I can't even imagine someone telling anyone who they "can not" marry. I have many gay friends in Asheville and a few here in California, I am doing this in honor of all of them. I hope I meet ya'll one day..

Anonymous said...

VOTE NO ON H8!