This thing looks like so much fun..



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Taking away people right's to marry isn't enough for fundamentalist "Christians" in California - now they want to intimidate people who disagree with their hateful, evil little agenda into silence.

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http://cbs5.com/local/proposition.8.poll.2.847578.html

Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Backers Target Businesses

SACRAMENTO (AP) ― Leaders of the campaign to outlaw same-sex marriage in California are warning businesses that have given money to the state's largest gay rights group they will be publicly identified as opponents of traditional unions unless they contribute to the gay marriage ban, too.

ProtectMarriage.com, the umbrella group behind a ballot initiative that would overturn the California Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage, sent a certified letter this week asking companies to withdraw their support of Equality California, a nonprofit organization that is helping lead the campaign against Proposition 8.

"Make a donation of a like amount to ProtectMarriage.com which will help us correct this error," reads the letter. "Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. ... The names of any companies and organizations that choose not to donate in like manner to ProtectMarriage.com but have given to Equality California will be published."

The letter was signed by four members of the group's executive committee: campaign chairman Ron Prentice; Edward Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference; Mark Jansson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Andrew Pugno, the lawyer for ProtectMarriage.com. A donation form was attached. The letter did not say where the names would be published.

San Diego businessman Jim Abbott, who owns a real estate company and is a member of Equality California's board of directors, received one of the letters late Wednesday afternoon. His adult son called Abbott to read it to him.

"He characterized it as a bit 'Mafioso,"' Abbott said. "It was a little distressing, but it's consistent with how the 'yes' side of this campaign has been run, which is a bit over the top."

Abbott, who married his same-sex partner at the end of August, estimated that over the last decade he has given $50,000 to Equality California, including a recent $10,000 gift to underwrite a San Diego event that raised money to defeat Proposition 8.

When asked whether ProtectMarriage.com planned to name businesses that have supported the No on 8 campaign, Prentice initially said he was unaware of any such effort.

"I'm not familiar of any organized attack against organizations that have given to No on 8," he said Thursday.

But when asked about the letter to Equality California donors, Prentice confirmed they were authentic and said the ProtectMarriage.com campaign was asking businesses backing the other side "to reconsider taking a position on a moral issue in California."

Prentice said it was his understanding it was intended for large corporations such as cable operators Time Warner and Comcast instead of small business owners like Abbott. Both Time Warner and Comcast are listed on Equality California's Web site as corporate sponsors that gave $50,000 each to the group.

Companies that have contributed directly to one of the campaign committees collecting cash to fight Proposition 8, including one set up by Equality California, also were recipients of the letter, Prentice said. That list includes companies such as Pacific Gas & Electric, Levi Strauss and AT&T.

"I think the IDing of, or outing of, any company is very secondary to the question of why especially a public corporation would choose to take a side knowing it would splinter it's own clientele," he said.

Equality California executive director Geoffrey Kors said Thursday he has heard from two other business owners besides Abbott.

"It's truly an outrageous attempt to extort people," Kors said.

While an anti-Proposition 8 group called Californians Against Hate has posted lists of gay marriage ban donors on the Internet and even launched boycotts of selected businesses, Kors said that work has been independent of the official No on 8 campaign.

"They are going after our long-term funding and trying to intimidate Equality California donors from giving any more to the No on 8 campaign and from giving to Equality California ever again, which would impact our work for seniors, youth and other people in need."

Sonya Eddings Brown, a ProtectMarriage.com spokeswoman, estimated that 36 companies were targeted for the tit-for-tat appeal. She called the letter "a frustrated response" to the intimidation felt by Proposition 8 supporters, who have had their lawn signs stolen and property vandalized in the closing days of the increasingly heated campaign.

Seriously, WTF is this?


Update:

Here is another link to the HJ, er, I mean Obama Youth..

Image this scenario.  It's 1991 and the Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse.  The resulting turmoil and independence movements in the Soviet Republics becomes very dangerous, especially if you happen to work for the Soviet government.  One young family, a husband, who was a police officer, his wife and infant son are forced to flee the Soviet Republic of Armenia in fear for their lives shortly after protesters burn their home to the ground.  The husband goes to America and applies for asylum, and is joined a couple of years later by his wife and son, who had been forced to seek refuge in Russia.

Fast forward to 2008.  The infant is about to graduate from high school in Fresno, California.  However, he is not just graduating - he has a 4.0 grade point average and is the valedictorian of his high school.  He has been accepted to the University of California, Davis where he plans to major in chemistry with a career goal of either being a dentist or pharmacist. That is, unless the U.S. Government deports him, his parents, and, for all practical purposes, his 12 year old brother who is a natural born citizen of the United States.  Having exhausted their final appeals, the family has been ordered out of the United States on June 20.

It boggles the mind the level of callousness and sheer stupidity on the part of the government that decides it is in the best interest of our society to evict a family that is working, paying taxes and raising model children.  Can someone explain how our economy is assisted by booting out future medical professionals?  How are we made safer by sending a family back to a hostile society?  How can the government justify forcing an American Citizen out of this nation by evicting his entire family?

In New York Harbor a rather large, green statue stands.  This statue is holding a tablet that reads, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."  For those of you unfamiliar with what should be basic knowledge, that big green statue is the Statue of Liberty.  The Golden Door, however, has been slammed shut with a "Go Away" sign firmly attached.

The kid in this drama is named Arthur Mkoyan.  Arthur and his family's last chance is for a Private Bill to be passed in the Congress granting them the right to stay in the United States.  His family has been in contact with California Senator Diane Feinstein's office to do just that. Private bills, however, are rare, and don't usually pass.  As such, it is vital that concerned citizens express their views to Congress in this matter.

If you are in California, please take the time to contact Sen. Feinstein and Sen. Boxer.  Fresno area residents should also contact their Representative, which would be Rep. George Radanovich or Rep. Jim Costa.  Contact information is at the end of the blog.  Emails would be great - phone calls would be even better - both would be fantastic.  Make sure these individuals understand that the voters of their district expect them to do the right thing in this matter.  If you live outside of California, it would still be helpful to contact your Congressional delegation, as this private bill will come up for a vote.

Senator Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
Email Link

Senator Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3553
(202) 224-0454 fax
Email Link

Rep. George Radanovich
2367 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202.225.4540
Fax: 202.225.3402
Email Link

Rep. Jim Costa
1314 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone:202-225-3341
Fax: 202-225-9308
Email Link

On June 3rd USA Today released the results of a Gallup Poll on marriage attitudes in the United States.  The results of this poll are very encouraging for the supporters of freedom and equality, and are sure to cause despair to those who seek to re-establish the Dark Ages in America.

When asked if same sex marriage was a private matter between two people or if the government should have the right to pass legislation regarding it 63% of respondents stated that it was a private matter, with only 33% saying the government should have the right to regulate marriage in this area.

Why the major change in public opinion?  Simple. Gay marriage opponents made all sorts of dire predictions of massive harm to society and families should gay marriage be legalized.  After 4 years of legal gay marriage in Massachusetts, as well as legal gay marriage in our northern neighbor Canada exactly ZERO of these dire predictions have come true.  In other words, the religious right, as usual, was full of shit.

As Andrew Sullivan in his June 5th column writes regarding gay marriage, "It is becoming a non-issue. Which means: we win."

"The request to stay the effective date of the decision of the court filed on May 15, 2008, until after the November 2008 election is denied.

The decision filed on May 15, 2008 will become final on June 16, 2008 at 5 PM"

In another important decision the California Supreme Court declined to deny gay couples their rights under the Constitution of the State of California pending the uncertain outcome of the ballot initiative that out of state religious groups managed to buy ballot space for.

This was a vitally important victory for freedom.  Moderate voters who may have been inclined to oppose gay marriage on theoretical grounds are not going to be as likely to cast a ballot that directly impacts the happy couples they are going to see this summer on their televisions.  Only the most hard hearted person would cast a ballot to destroy another person's marriage.

Wow...  You know your case is weak when even Bill O'Reilly can make you look like a fool.

Sun Tsu wrote, "Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."  With that in mind, I have found it is best if our community keeps tabs on what the opposition is up to, and, as such, I read all manner of email newsletters and websites spit out by our opponents.

One organization, the "Campaign for Children and Families" has been encouraging people to call various public officials to try and pressure them into ignoring the rule of law and refusing to carry out the California Supreme Court ruling.  Their plan can be found here: http://www.savecalifornia.com/getactive/alertmain.php?alid=201.

It is important that those of us on the other side counter this tactic by using it ourselves.  I would encourage everyone to contact the officials listed on that page and, in the case of the Governor, thank him for his support, and in the case of the others, remind them that you expect them to uphold the rule of law and carry out the Court's ruling. It is also vital that letters be written to the members of the California Supreme Court to ensure that they do not stay this ruling.

"Thirty-one states allow all qualified citizens to carry concealed weapons. In those states, homosexuals should embark on organized efforts to become comfortable with guns, learn to use them safely and carry them. They should set up Pink Pistols task forces, sponsor shooting courses and help homosexuals get licensed to carry. And they should do it in a way that gets as much publicity as possible."

--Jonathan Rauch, Salon Magazine, March 13, 2000

The issue of hate crimes has been on my mind of late.  Given the desperation of the lunatic fringe of the Christian church, it is very likely that some in that camp will turn the political fight over gay marriage into their own personal jihad.  As Pascal said, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

With this in mind, to not prepare for an increase in violent hate crimes against the gay community would be, in my mind, foolish.  Perhaps Mr. Rauch is on the right track - arming the gay community most definitely would give a moment of pause to those who wish to do us harm.