for those of you that do not live in northern california,, proposition 8 is an initiative measure on the 2008 california general election ballot that seeks to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. If passed, the proposition would change the california constitution by adding a section that states, “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” thus eliminating the “loophole” also known as “the equal protection clause”, as set out in the fourteenth amendment to the constitution of the united states of america,, thru which the state has seen fit to allow the right of same-sex couples to marry in the state of california since may of this year…
but this is not a post about whether or not same sex marraiges should be taking place in the state of california.. of course they should.. anyone willing to hop into bed with uncle sam should be given the opportunity to do so.. and i for one do not want to go on record as having stood in the way of hundreds of thousands of divorce lawyers all over the country as they stand salivating in the halls of justice awaiting the coming deluge of same sex clientele …..
anywhoo…… the first thing i saw this morning was this headline in the san francisco chronicle: Flood of money against Prop 8…. this article goes on to state that a virtual “tsunami of new money has poured into the campaign to defeat Proposition 8, as Hollywood celebrities, deep-pocketed donors and thousands of people from across the country wrote checks to block the proposed ban on same-sex marriage in California.”
and my questions here in lie… what the hell should money have to do with it?? and if the final decision as to whether or not this proposition is to be passed will be decided by which side of the coin has raised the majority of the money in support of their stand on the issue,, why are they even asking ‘we the people’ to vote on it???
what difference does a hole punched in a ballot make if the money has already secured its passing or failure?? and in the event that this decision,, as do most decisions made in society as we have come to know it,, does in fact boil down to who has the most money,, why are we, the american people, still buying into the whole “your vote makes a difference” bullshit????
i know i cannot be alone in seeing thru the smoke and mirrors,, as in my humble opinion,, it seems as if they have done away with the smoke and mirrors all together at this late stage in the game,, and have decided that if we cannot recognize the simple fact that “money talks and bullshit walks” at this point- we are evidently too ignorant to try and explain it to…
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in the mood for something a little lighter??? i have reposed a fun piece of rhyming prose over on just paisley…. called “uncle” that ties in nicely with today’s post…..
October 25th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Smoke and mirrors ~ Aaaaaaaah ~ Isn’t that what politics is all about? I for one would never make a good politician! Nor even have the desire to be one!
October 25th, 2008 at 5:37 am
I’ve wondered that very thing in so many situations like this. I don’t have the answer. Just a kind of state of bewilderment.
October 25th, 2008 at 10:47 am
you are so right Paisley, no more need for smoke and mirrors, they don’t even care that you know.. it’s money talks or nobody walks ( or weds in this case!) EVERYTHING is about money, and it is truly sickening. They patronize us with voting and jumping through hoops. i have had it with hoops too!
October 25th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
all i know is to vote NO for proposition 8
October 25th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
paisley,
Why vote? Why vote when all the money’s been passed around and the outcome is forgone? Well I can’t tell you why you should vote, but I can tell you why I will. Here’s a little story, you’ve probably heard before but I tell it to illustrate my point:
For the sake of this story, we’re talking heterosexuals, but it can work between homosexuals too, if you please.
This couple decides to get married. Being good christian folk they didn’t investigate the sexual side of their relationship before hand, but rather, both saved themselves for their marriage partner.
On their wedding night as they were getting undressed the wife looks over and notices that her husband is, let’s say, not that well endowed. Unable to help herself, she starts giggling and then blurts out with laughter, while pointing at his member: “who you gonna please with that?”
He looks her straight in the eye and with all seriousness says”
“me.”
I vote to satisfy me. Voting makes me feel that I’m part of the system we call democracy, a part of America, the most envied country, for all it’s imperfections and flaws, in our world.
It’s as good a reason as any.
rel
October 25th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Didn’t you know? In the good ole USA, Money is King! Sad, but true. Sometimes I want to go back to living like Little House on the Prarie. Only maybe with running water!
October 25th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Money talks. No doubt about it. And people from OTHER STATES should keep their hands (and money) and opinions to themselves.
October 25th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I moved to what Bobbi terms as Little House on the Prairie, except it’s a rain forest, with hot running water. I’m voting to keep the little strip malls out of the rain forest. Local politics interest me , national stuff…well it’s a freak show.
October 25th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Sometimes money seems to have a power all of its own. I think it has corrupted the souls of many men. Until we manage to reduce its potency this type of thing will continue to go on. I understand your frustration.
October 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
We are so controled by the powers that be, it does seem pointless, but it gives me the satisfaction that I tried to help and my honesty and allegiance to my country makes their dishonesty and ruthlessness a little less biting, in my eyes anyway.
October 26th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I think all the problems people have, whether they be rich or poor, are due to money. And in an exponential sense, all the problems the world has can in some way be linked back to the use and abuse of money. It stinks. Sometimes I wish we could see money for what it really is. I wish we could lessen its impact on us. I hope that one day it happens.
October 26th, 2008 at 8:18 am
No to # 8 … and “amen” to most of what was said above.
October 26th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I’m so leery on my prop votes due to wording. This point is valid.
Good news on the stay of execution. I believe in miracles.
Thanks again Jodi! HUG
October 26th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Money pays the bills. The bills for ads and dissemination of information. The more money one side has (in this case the No on 8 side) the more likely it is that their side will win. So in this case, spending all this money makes sense. The more information goes out, the more people will hear (hopefully it will be correct) and the more likely they will be moved to vote. All eyes are on California for this fight. The past has proven that in politics and law, “…as California goes, so goes the Country.” So that’s why there is so much interest and so much money on this race.
BTW, CNN reports that more money has been spent on this one issue in this one election than the combined total for similar issues placed on ballots throughout the nation in recent years ($33 million dollars in 24 states in the past four years). http://tinyurl.com/5dkh6g
October 26th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Interesting. My comment won’t take here. I keep getting a message saying I’ve already posted that comment but it doesn’t appear here. Very strange.
October 26th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
here here, Paisley, GOD how right you are about the money…unfortunately, I also think it’s the reason a number of people have finally decided to get out and vote….all of a sudden the economy is not so great anymore…and NOW people want change…repulsive on some level, that voters are out in droves now that there is a recession
October 26th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Paisley, The issue of same-sex marriage is up for voting here in Florida and you can bet your last dollar on this: I am voting NO. What business is it of anybody, other than the two people in love and wish to commit to a life-time of togetherness? In what way does same-sex marriages affect “one man, one woman, marriages”? As I stated in an essay, since “marriage” is supposed to have been instituted by “God” for the purpose of birthing babies— and that purpose only—then every man and woman should have to produce evidence of fertility before being issued a license to wed. For the identical reason, not so much as one heterosexual person who wishes to marry for no other reason than they fell in lov, should be issued a license. Wonder how those who object to same-sex unions would vote on that prospect?
October 27th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Hell yes, let them marry. They have the right to be just as miserable as straight married couples. Why do you think they call them gay?
October 28th, 2008 at 3:01 am
All of these pointless rules, stepping one step further does any of it really matter, where did the defination of what is right and wrong stem from? We have over complicated life no so much so that the real purpose is hidden, everything has a hidden agenda, everything becomes confused and the real issue, two people in this case becomes lost in a whole barrage of stupid pointless rules. I look around the UK and see more and more of this bizaare behaviour, we advocate freedom, we are no more free than slaves of early years. The whole idea that all balances on how much money one has is absoultly ridiculas, completly absurd and wrong, another paper rule a token for the rot in a social system that has lost its way!
October 29th, 2008 at 7:50 am
another reason why it is the root of all evil
October 29th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Girlfriend . . . you know that money walks . . . it’s been that way since god only knows when. A proposition similar to this one was passed in Virginia this year during the primary elections. I can say this though; in Virginia, home of the super conservative, bible carrying, God fearing, blah blah blah, all the tea in China or money in the Federal Reserve Bank would not make same sex marriage legal - although many of these super conservatives are undercover bi - if you know what I mean!
November 6th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Wouldnt it be nice, in a perfect world, of politicians weren’t so damn corrupt.