Vallejo Independent Bulletin - Primal Scream--Double Header--VIB Unfair on Prop. 8 ? 11/23/08

Primal Scream--Double Header

VIB Unfair on Prop. 8 ?

Dear Mr. Garman

The recent elections for Vallejo political office have been close indeed. One one side the old guard in alliance with the public employee unions have bankrupted our city, on the others reformers.

Our town has deep union roots. The present members of unions and pensioners would vote for Satan if the union bosses recommended him. The local news paper, as you are aware, is in bed with the old guard. For that reason I had hope for your website as a loyal opposition and for fair and balanced reporting on issues affecting the city. Unfortunately my hopes have been dashed. Your reporting on the prop 8 issue has been biased.

Maybe I am wrong but did you try to interview anybody inside the Empress? My guess is they were scared to express their opinion. I was asked my opinion on this issue a couple of months ago by a street vendor at the farmers market and remember being apprehensive about giving an answer on an election issue for the first time in my life.

Your website helped organize the protest at the Empress Theater . You may say the protest was based on opposition to prop 8 but the protest was against one group of an organized religion. I find this to be reprehensible, disgusting and reeking of Fascism. Would your website have helped organize a protest if the Jewish faith had rented the Empress? Of course not. There has been an undercurrent of hostility to religion on your website and this has been exposed.

I checked out the Solano County Election results on prop 8 and 56% of the voters voted yes. They pay taxes their children attend Vallejo schools and they have a stake in the future of the community as do those who voted no. By your site's apparent hostility to those who supported prop 8 you risk leaving the City in the same old incapable hands.

My mathmatical question is what is 50% of 46%? The answer is 23%. After all how can you ever hope to win an election with 23% of the vote.
Perhaps I am being too simplistic. This email is just to express my opinion. Sorry if I come off as harsh as I know you have Vallejo's best interest at heart.

Joey Porter

Mr. Porter,

First of all, let me be clear. VIB did not organize the protest against proposition 8 at Vallejo's Empress Theatre. The organizer of the event sent us a press release, and so we put the information out there and then covered the event.

We at VIB have no specific grudge against the Mormon Church; however, the separation of church and state is one of the cornerstones of our government. Proposition 8 does raise some questions in that area for sure.

As an American I am forced to question any religion that seeks to impose its will on the rights of any minority group. I personally think proposition 8 is a violation of civil rights... plain and simple.

I would question any religion or group of individuals that took such an action. Jewish, Mormon, Catholic or whatever.

For the record, I am both heterosexual and Jewish.

I am not religious but do have friends of different religions and sexual orientations. I have lived in gay households (roommates) as the token straight guy and never found any problem with it.

I have no direct personal stake in proposition 8, but I guess I am what you could call socially liberal.

As an American who believes in both freedom of religion and separation of church and state I think proposition 8 is an abomination. If two people-consenting adults-- want to be together--or marry-- I have a hard time seeing how it hurts anybody else.

I strongly suspect that Proposition 8 will be found unconstitutional and ultimately overturned.

So, that's enough of my personal opinion. As has been stated on VIB before: I welcome opinions from people on both sides of the issue. Your letters and commentary are welcome.

Furthermore, if individuals on opposing sides of the proposition 8 issue would like to discuss the issue for a televised (VCAT channel 27 and internet stream) debate, VIB will be happy to organize it. Please email me This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

And would VIB have covered the protest at the Empress if the Jewish faith had participated in supporting proposition 8? Hell yes.

Marc Garman---editor VIB

Comments

Add New

RSS

David Fisher

|November.25.2008

Dear Mr. Porter,

The organizer was someone from our community and not VIB.

First, let me say, I was raised Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and at 19, I was a Mormon Missionary for two years over seas, I taught Sunday School Old and New Testament and was very well versed in LDS doctrines, my Ancestors were Pioneers and we have a long history as a family in the Mormon church. So, it was with great pain and suffering that I came out in the Mormon Church at 24 years of age, and was denigrated by my church and family for years.

My own mother and humiliation at
a young age forced me, to canvas against gay teachers and the ERA in the 70's, which if passed would have protected us many years ago; so I know personally the other side of this issue.

I struggled with going to the protest, because for two reasons: one, the Empress is struggling, and I support it as most the Gay Community does; Two, I know that Mormons don't respond well to what they perceive as "persecution" because they were so heavily persecuted in their religious history for their own religious beliefs, especially those of Plural Marriage (multiple wives).

Then again, I
believe you have to follow the money and the fact is that around 44% or more (depending on the source) of the funding came from members of the Mormon Church, who were urged from the pulpit and Church presidency to support the "Yes on 8" campaign. It is also true that Catholics and other minority groups such as the African American, Latino and Asian Communities also funded and voted for 8. But, it is fact that they, the Mormons, were the largest block of organizers and funders, and is likely that without the Mormon foot soldiers and $$ pouring in from around the country that they would
not have prevailed.

While I will likely not marry, I have friends and family (my Lesbian 1st cousin) who are, and who should have the same rights and protections under the law that two crack head heterosexuals are allowed, to love whom they wish, and own property and have their families and relationships protected. Civil Unions are not the same as legal marriage.

Legal marriage today will allow both parties immediately over 200 rights out of 300 laws in this state, which would take much time and expense if you were to try to duplicate them by any other means legally. Among the many,
let me name a few important ones that we enjoyed for a brief few months, many people may have taken for granted all their life:

*You cannot be forced to testify against one another.
*Can make medical decisions on each-others behalf and visitation rights.
*Seek wrongful death compensation.
*Access to partners or decedents estate upon death.
*Maintain life and disability insurance on a spouse.
*Eligibility for workers compensation or death benefits.
*Automatically hold property as tenants in common

Marriage is about property and civil rights and protections. It is not only about
heterosexual families with kids�otherwise, why are thousands of Heterosexual couples without children allowed to be married and protected? Marriage as an institution that has evolved through time and societal changes, and will likely continue to do so. After all 44 years ago our own new incoming presidents parents would not have been allowed to marry in many states.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interracial_marriage

The real issue is Separation of Church and State and the Mormons have a history in the early days of the church and their own doctrine and covenants of NOT suppressing
religious freedom or using religion to suppress the rights of others because they themselves were victims of this historically.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state

Here is what LDS Scripture says:

"And now verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land� that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. Therefore, I the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of
the land; And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil."
(Doctrine and Covenants 98:4,5-7)"

So, this is clearly an issue of a Church directly being involved in influencing public political opinion against a minority group, in order to change the State Constitution by amendment, to take away rights that were already given Gays and Lesbians by the California Legislature and CA Supreme Court earlier this summer, because, weather you or others of a very small margin of the majority like it or not, every one is to be treated EQUALLY under the
law and discriminating against a minority is what the constitution is supposed to protect. The many should not have the right to limit the equality of the few, just because they don�t like or approve of them. This protects also the Mormons and other religious groups, adversaries and minorities.

Many Mormons, such as my father were against this proposition and took issue with their church as there is a belief in their history that one should not support a Prophet if he is misguided and contrary to scriptural belief; as you can see above, their own Doctrine and Covenants makes a good case
that he was in this case. Another very clear example of this historically would be the Mountain Meadow massacre.

Here is one source that LDS people can click on to read as an LDS community.

http://www.gaysandthegospel.org/

To quote one of the songs we sang that night at the protest, �We shall over come� and one of my favorite protest chants, �we want what the chickens got, rights!�

America has a rich history of suppression of minority rights, and I hope that the African American Community, Latino and Asian communities each remember their own history and support the Gay and
Lesbian community in having the same Civil protections under the Law that they now enjoy, because many of us in the Gay and Lesbian community have been by their sides marching, voting and paying the same taxes. They don't have to agree with or participate in marriages of Gays and Lesbians if they do not wish, but everyone should support equality and justice for all under the law.

For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Marriage

[ Back ]

Latest News

Main Menu

Current Screams

Popular

Syndicate

Login

3.23 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."