CA residents, vote NO on Prop 8!!!!

So I’ve been thinking about writing a post regarding Prop 8 here in CA for awhile and after I heard an ad on the radio supporting the Prop I decided I really had to.

First, I am totally opposed to Prop 8.  This proposition would make an amendment to the CA constitution limiting ‘marriage’ to that between a man and a woman.  Now, anyone who is behind equality and good will and social justice should also be opposed to this proposition.  Essentially Prop 8 and proposed laws like it are simply another form of separate but equal.  Which, if you don’t remember, was decidedly (and rightly) shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court back in 1954 and then the decision was upheld and expanded in subsequent decisions.  I still find it ridiculous that it wasn’t until 1967 that the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision that laws against racially mixed marriages were unconstitutional.  To me the right of any two people to marry falls under this same category.  We can not claim to have a free and just society in the United States and then make laws not allowing our citizens to marry those whom they love.

Back to the ad I heard supporting Proposition 8.  The CA Supreme Court decision earlier this year stating that the state ban on same sex marriages is unconstitutional is a wonderful thing.  I completely agree with the court’s decision that sexual orientation, like race or gender, “does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights.”  So the idea that there is a Proposition out there that seeks to dismantle this decision is horrible.  On top of that, the ads for Prop 8 are completely misleading.  Churches and congregations who make the decision to not perform same sex marriages will not lose their non-profit/tax-free status.  Civil institutions (i.e. city halls) would be required to perform all lawful marriages, but churches are private institutions and can make their own decisions.

In addition, I don’t think the belief that many individuals hold about God creating marriage between a man and a woman should be used in this argument.  One of the founding tenets of the United States is separation of church and state.  This being so, the religious definition of marriage should not necessarily be taken as the same thing in our civil definitions.  Not allowing a group of people the same rights as others is the absolute meaning of discrimination, and this is what Prop 8 supports.  Personally, I would have all instances of ‘marriage’ taken out of the civil code and replaced with ‘civil union’.  This keeps religious ideology out of our laws and allows churches/temples/mosques and their corresponding religions to maintain their own beliefs.

As well, as supporting ads claim, same sex marriage as a concept will not now be taught in schools.  This in itself is just an absurd idea.  Perhaps addressing same sex couples in sex ed classes and talking about all possibilities within dating and relationships in high school settings (with counselors, psychologists, administrators, etc.) will now be easier.  And when living in the real world these are things that need to be addressed if brought up because we want future generations to be able to take care of themselves, both physically and emotionally.

So basically, what I’m trying to say is PLEASE do not support this proposition.  When you go to the polls in November vote NO on Prop 8.  Because everyone deserves to be with the person they love.

- suse

Please visit noonprop8.com

They really thought a barn theme was a good idea?

Short post.  anyone ever watched Extreme Home Makeover?  Nice, cuddly, make you feel all warm inside kinda show.  I like the principles, I like the idea, I usually like the main rooms of the house, but do they actually think about the kids’ rooms in any serious way? I’ve always been mostly appalled at the things they come up with for the kids’ rooms. A few examples…

Now, yeah, they talk to them about what they like and favorite activities and stuff, but these are kids (young people if you want). Two years from now, or even two weeks, they may just have totally different favorite things. One of the girls with the astonishingly pink rooms is going to go through a Goth phase and hate her room, and then hate her parents, and then hate her parents more for not letting her change her room.   And the pirates and the jungle, really?  Like a kid at 7 who loves pirates is going to think sleeping in a treasure chest bed is awesome at 13?  And well, since the families they are helping are usually living in fairly tight budgets it isn’t as if it’ll be the easiest thing to buy new furniture, paint the walls and get new things.  So yeah, my two cents there.

And just to keep the thoughts flowing:  Since the families usually get pretty grandiose houses built for them, do they get help with the bills since they are heating and cooling a much bigger space?  Do they get gardners to come help with the upkeep of the detailed yards they sometimes get?  Or after Tye and his crew pat themselves on the backs and gets in their bus and leave, is upkeep and such something the family is just supposed to figure out with their already limited time and limited budgets?  I’d like to know how the details work cause if there is no follow up its a nice idea that has absolutely no real follow through.

- suse

p.s.  Apparently we all need to watch the new episode tonight cause the Jonas Brothers are on it (commence screaming now)

I’ll have Equal with my coffee, Mr. Hart

A few days ago I watched 9-to-5 with Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, the always incredible Lily Tomlin, and lots of big hair.  Its a movie about getting back at the boss with some beer, pot and friendship thrown in, too.

See LOTS of big hair

Oh, and Colin Higgins who wrote Harold and Maude also wrote this one, so that’s a good precedent. I really did enjoy the movie. Fonda actually plays an endearing character in a non-annoying way, Parton feels like she’s just being herself (I heart Parton, so ‘being herself’ means good in my book), and Tomlin, well, she brings the awesomeness. But what I found interesting was at the end of the movie when the ladies take control of the office and start implementing their changes. This is the climax of the movie and some of the policies that you see go over their proverbial desk are job sharing/part-time work policies, providing a daycare center for children of employees and giving equal pay to all employees doing the same job (meaning all the ladies be getting raises). Let’s start the discussion with that last one…