Prop 8...

Went to the CA Supreme Court today. Arguments for both sides of the issue have been heard. Now, we have to wait 90 days for a decision.

You know, I feel bad for the justices who have to make the decision. Whichever way they rule, someone's gonna hate on them. Whichever way they rule, people are still gonna fight their decision.

Prop 8 supporters will fight if the majority vote is overturned. Prop 8 opponents will fight if the majority vote is upheld. This is going to be a neverending fight. Or it's going to seem like it. Then in the future, maybe 50 years from now, we'll all look back and be like "What the hell were we thinking? Arguing about some stupid shit like that when there were bigger things to worry about, like the legalization of marijuana or prostitution." :P I don't patronize either of those, but I'm just saying I consider those more important issues to worry about.

I don't really care about Prop 8. Marriage is marriage. It's a personal thing for all of us, obviously. I just don't think people should have the right to decide a stranger's right to marry. In the modern day, I have the right to decide who I can marry. It's not the right/decision of my mom, my brother, my friends, or a stranger.

Irrelevant: I'm kinda surprised people aren't as heated about convicted murderers and rapists being allowed to marry in jail as they are about gays getting married.

Seriously though, Prop 8 is really more about semantics than actual rights. People just want to restrict the definition of "marriage," which they can in their mind if they want. We can't dictate people's thoughts; our technologies aren't that advanced yet. But changing the words on the CA Constitution, how tedious. Whether the "amendment" is passed or not, people will see marriage as what it is and always has been: whatever it has been to them since they learned the words "marriage," "love," "monogamy," etc. An amendment isn't going to ultimately change the meaning behind marriage. It's still going to mean what it means to each of us. Hell, some of us don't care for it at all.

There will still be domestic partnerships/civil unions, which get most of the same benefits of marriages. It's true that they don't get all the same benefits. Yeah, a domestic partnership makes things a bit trickier than a marriage would, but c'est la vie. There are always obstacles to our goals and needs.

It's amazing how one word can divide people so easily. Well, more disheartening than amazing.

Another sad thing about the whole Prop 8 debate is all the ad hominem, bandwagoning, ad populum, straw man, and crap flying around. Mostly the ad hominem. Homophobes. Fags. Dykes. Breeders. Sinners. Haters. Anti-Species. Anti-Rights. Sodom and Gomorrah. Idiots. Bigots. I could seriously go on.

Is this how we argue? Like little children who haven't developed their vocabulary yet? We're not really arguing. An argument attempts to sway opinions and beliefs or incite action. Name-calling totally just turns people off. No way there's gonna be any swaying with that. This is why no one has offered a compromise. And you know there are always possibilities for compromise.

Oh, and yes, I voted no on Prop 8. Why? Like I said before, I don't like the idea of strangers deciding who strangers can marry. It's like worse than having my mom decide. And thank goodness, arranged marriages have lost their appeal. I've said this before somewhere, but Prop 8 is like a broader version of an arranged marriage. It doesn't tell you specifically who you have to marry, but it does limit your choices greatly and tells you who you should marry. And that's just as sad.

Counterarguments to 6 pro-Prop-8 worries. Convincing, I believe.

But we know that when people are provided with evidence contrary to their beliefs, sometimes they stick to their ironclad beliefs just because it's easier. I know I do it, but I'm still a youngin', so I'll learn to do better.


I don't hate Prop 8 supporters, although I've heard a few hate me. I don't know why. They don't even know me. I'm a nice person. But being a Prop 8 opponent brings in anger and dislike from the other side, just as being a supporter does. It's sad. It's human. We're not very humble, are we? We should at least respect each other, but I see little respect out there. That's one of the reasons why I think this will be an ongoing battle.

Sometimes, I feel like this debate has really turned into a competition of right or wrong, win or lose. It's not for the betterment of the people. It's not progress. It's just something else.

Man, why are people so angry, so afraid? What are we so afraid of? Of losing? Losing our righteousness, our self-esteem, our fraternity, our equality? Why are we all so angry?

No one's ever really equal.