Prop 8 Scare Tactics Are Offensive
October 27th, 2008
In elementary schools across America, it is widely accepted that children learn how this country came into existence. They learn that in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, they learn about the founding of Jamestown, and they learn about how Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims, who came to America to escape the religious persecution they were facing in England. The pilgrims saw America as a place where they could thrive without the intrusion of the government telling them how to conduct their personal affairs. Many have since followed in the pilgrims footsteps and America became seen as a guiding light for those who wish to live free of oppression.
On November 4th, this freedom is being put to a vote. Proposition 8 asks California voters to take away the right of same sex couples to marry. This fundamental right to have your marriage recognized by the government has been enjoyed and held sacred for many years. It is widely seen as decision to be made within ones family and/or place of worship. We knew that the debate surrounding Prop. 8 was going to get dirty. We are seeing the rights of a minority being put on trail by individuals who wish to impose extreme views on others and they are attempting to do it by scaring people and distorting facts.
Let’s examine a common theme of the Yes on 8 campaign.
The one that claims is that we need to protect children by supporting Proposition 8, because if we don’t, our children will learn about gay marriage in the second grade (as the concerned mother in the commercial claims). Obviously, the response to that is “so what?” There is nothing wrong with being gay or gay marriage.
Today, The Flash Report pointed to a part of the California Education Code that talks about how “comprehensive sex education” is required to be taught in schools and how it must include “respect for marriage and committed relationships.”
Actually, I do believe that the Flash Report is correct. Students do learn those things…in high school! Students also learn critical thinking. So that they can take what they learn in school and make their own decisions about it. For example, a student can learn about abortion in school and choose to be against it or a student can learn about sex and decide to wait until marriage. In much the same way, students can learn about gay marriage and discuss with their family whether they support it in their own lives. After that, they can choose who they get married to, when and where they get married, and even whether they get married at all. Voting yes on prop. 8 takes that choice away.
There is no church, synagogue, or mosque that is forced to marry gay couples or accept homosexuality. It would be wrong to force people to accept things that conflict with their religious belief in much the same way as it is wrong to force one’s religious beliefs on people. That is why we have a government that prohibits establishing a religion and infringing on the free exercise of one’s religion.
The pilgrims came to America for freedom, it is in the context of this value that our children are taught about them. So instead of trying to scare people into giving away fundamental rights. Let us talk about the real values we teach our children in second grade, the values that we must fight to protect by voting NO on Proposition 8.
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Very good post. I wrote on the Prop. 8 debacle at my new GovernmentPresence blog as well. Not trying to comment spam you, so I won’t post the link.
Well, this post was certainly polemical.
I thought this part was particularly important in this debate:
“Students also learn critical thinking. So that they can take what they learn in school and make their own decisions about it. For example, a student can learn about abortion in school and choose to be against it or a student can learn about sex and decide to wait until marriage. In much the same way, students can learn about gay marriage and discuss with their family whether they support it in their own lives. After that, they can choose who they get married to, when and where they get married, and even whether they get married at all. Voting yes on prop. 8 takes that choice away.”
I would extend that thought from students to everyone. Limiting rights is a terrible way of encouraging freedom.
Nice post. I believe that ‘critical thinking’ isn’t valued enough by everyone. I’d love to see more high-school and junior-high courses that encourage youth to think on their own rather than just take for granted everything adults and teachers tell them. That’s a skill that everyone will do much better in life and the society as a whole will also do better if people understand how to think for themselves and weight different sides of arguments.
The Field Poll Research group has a nice breakdown of political party and religious affiliation for support/opposition of prop 8. (PDF download on the field poll web site). One of the most lopsided breakdowns is that Evangelical Christians are 60/40 and non-Evangelical Christians are 40/60. Most every other categories are pretty close within 5-10 points of the other side.