Can’t just cross my fingers: Prop 8
I sent this email to as many California voters as I could think of. I encourage you to do likewise.
Hello Friends,
Many of you have not heard from/seen me in years, and I hope this letter finds all safe and sound. As I try to keep up with California news from my Harlem apartment, I have followed the prospects of Proposition 8 - the ballot initiative to revoke equal marriage rights for gay couples - with some interest. I wasn’t much worried, though, counting on a fundamental sense of justice in the California people. But as polls continue to narrow, I can no longer conscience silence. I’m doing something I have never done: writing a bulk email.
This not a political matter, and this is not a choice which has any bearing on the love, sanctity, and meaning embodied in so many heterosexual marriages. Marriage is a civil right. If you have married, I’d imagine you believe it to be a fundamental one. Anything less than marriage - including a “separate but equal” pact under another name - is a profound injustice.
I urge you to vote NO on Prop 8 to preserve basic civil rights for all California citizens. If you identify as heterosexual, the need to stand up for our brothers and sisters even without our own stake in this fight is of particular ethical import. If you already plan on voting NO, I encourage you to read up on the state of the race and see if you, too, feel compelled to write as many people as you can.
In 1948, California was the first state to rule racist anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional. That decision sparked a fire culminating in the landmark Loving v. Virgina almost two decades later. Our parents or grandparents never had the privilege to vote in support of civil rights on that issue, but on this occasion we do. While we pray that this struggle for a basic equality moves more speedily, we must not forsake the opportunity to make our voices heard on November 4th. Vote NO on Prop 8.
Much warmth,
Steve McFarland
