I just don't get it. What do they think they're going to accomplish? We already voted! And I really don't understand why they're targeting us (the LDS church).
Here are a few (okay, ten) interesting facts for those people who blame us for the passage of Prop 8:
1. Mormons make up about 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 Mormons out of a total population of approximately 34 million.
2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the "yes" vote. If one estimates that 250,000 Mormons are registered voters (the rest being children). If every single Mormon voter in California votes yes, they made up approximately 4.4% of the Yes vote and 2.2% of the total Proposition 8 vote. PROP 8's MARGIN OF VICTORY WAS OVER 500,000 VOTES. IF EVERY MORMON VOTER HAD STAYED HOME FROM THE POLLS, PROP 8 STILL WOULD HAVE PASSED EASILY.
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated not one dime to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right, donated whatever they felt like donating.
4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million. The No campaign enjoyed a substantial money advantage.
5. African Americans in California overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. Haven't read about any protests at the NAACP offices.
6. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8. Are protesters headed to the MALDEF offices next?
7. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members. The Knights of Columbus were primary contributors to the Yes campaign. Are the protesters planning to send a delegation to the Vatican to let Pope know how they feel?
8. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or her self. Church leaders have repeatedly asked members to treat others with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.
9. The Mormon church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church as always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it judges to be moral issues.
10. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse.
The fact is, we simply did what Americans do – we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.
Just listen to what Elton John has to say:
USA TODAY article Nov 15, 2008
In December 2005, John and Furnish tied the knot in a civil partnership ceremony in Windsor, England. But, clarified the singer, "We're not married. Let's get that right. We have a civil partnership. What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage. Marriage is going to put a lot of people off, the word marriage."
John and Furnish, and their two cocker spaniels, Marilyn and Arthur, were in town for Tuesday's annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
"I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership," John says. "The word 'marriage,' I think, puts a lot of people off.
"You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."
3 comments:
Mikelle will you add me to your blog list? Please!!!! Love you, Bailey.
So interesting!! I'm a California girl (grew up there) and most of my family is there. I am so torn up about what's happening. The "protests" are bad, but I have been so disheartened to read what so many members think about the council given by the church.
The points made in this post are so interesting. I also really appreciate what Elton John said. I do feel that if people are going to choose that lifestyle it is a good idea for them to be able to make specific commitments, just not before God. So i like his idea of a civil partnership.
Oh, I could go on forever about this. My sister is in Long Beach and there are supposed to be protesters at their church building tomorrow from like 10-1pm. So much fun!
My husband is in touch with someone on you tube who "doesn't recognize his church" with this prop 8 thing. He says he's his High Priest Group Leader. But it sounds like he's on his way out. I really think that is a tragedy. And there are too many similar tragedies happening. I guess we all knew that there would need to be ways for the wheat to be separated from the chaff. (I hope that analogy isn't offensive. I just think it's terribly sad)
I'm sorry! I don't even know you and I'm going on and on! Yikes! Thanks for this post!! (That's all I should have said, and left it at that!! :)
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