"Prop 8 Maps" Outs Supporters of Proposition 8
Proposition 8 was a measure recently approved by the people of California defining marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, thus banning the practice of same sex marriage in California. The passage of Prop 8 has angered many gay activists and their allies and has led to ugly incidents, including angry demonstrations in front of Mormon Churches
The purpose of Prop 8 Maps appears to be to out people who contributed money to the passage of Prop 8 and to provide an easy way to locate them. Thus, people who supported Prop 8 with money can be subject to harassment, demonstrations, and perhaps worse. The theory is that they will think twice before doing it again.
Naturally the people behind Prop 8 Maps prefer to remain anonymous.
Those of us who give their opinion for a living are very used to anonymous people expressing their ire. The nature of the Internet allows people to express the most outrageous sentiments and to hide behind a pseudonym to protect themselves. Most of this sort of thing consists of angry emails and postings in comments sections and can be laughed off.
Prop 8 Maps is something else entirely. Feelings over the passage of Prop 8 have run so high in certain quarters, Prop 8 Maps actually place people who supported Prop 8 with money in physical danger. At the very least, people who gave money for the passage of Prop 8 can expect people camped in their front lawns yelling at them as they go to and fro on their business. They can also expect retaliation at their places of work/business. Death threats and perhaps actual attempts at mayhem can follow.
Writing as someone who is sympathetic to the idea of same sex marriage, one cannot express strongly enough how stupid and counter-productive this tactic is. It will backfire, especially if someone comes to harm as a result.
Besides, as Rod Dreher at the Dallas Morning News suggests, two can play that game:
"Think of it this way: what if a radical fundamentalist group gathered the names and home addresses of donors to pro-gay causes, and created an online map to their homes? Or what if anti-abortion radicals created a map to the homes of Planned Parenthood donors? Is that really the way we want to go in this society? I think not."
One way to stop this sort of thing is to make lists of political donors anonymous, the batter to protect people from harassment or retaliation by others who oppose their political activity. It's a sad state of affairs that make this necessary, but it apparently has to be done.
Sources: Prop 8 Maps: Donors for Proposition 8 on Google Maps, Ignatius Reilly, Right Pundits, January 14th, 2009
Eightmaps.com and too much information, Rod Dreher, Dallas Morning News, January 14th, 2009
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentIt's actually *same gender* marriage. Sex is none of anyone's business. It's that 3 letter word that ignights the simple minded; don't let them frame the conversation.
this is ridiculous
after the last eight years you want to may political donors anonymous? Remember Enron and $4 gas?
"At the very least...expect people camped in their front lawns yelling at them ... retaliation at their places of work/business. Death threats and perhaps actual attempts at mayhem can follow."
Have any of these claims of harrassment by Prop 8 supporters been substantiated? The only thing I've found are the same set of quotes by James Bopp Jr. ... no interviews with police, or media interviews with the alleged victims of harrassment.
In my reading so far, I've only encountered quoted claims, nothing about police reports, FBI investigations, etc.
"Writing as someone who is sympathetic to the idea of same sex marriage..."
Maybe it's just poor wording choices on your party, but if you're "expecting" your fellow same-sex marriage supporters will happily make death threats and commit mayhem ... you really don't sound sympathetic at all. You sound a lot more like one of those secret conservatives who start out internet posts with "As a life-long Democrat, I am supporting the McC
And if the money is coming from a church which by federal law is not to be done. Who do we send to jail?
Cont. from below:
Here's another fact for you: "Approximately 25 percent of the adoptions of children with special needs are by single men and women, and it is estimated that about 5 percent of all other adoptions are by single people." -- http://library.adoption.com/articles/single-parent-adoption-3.html So you see, state caretakers allow even special needs kids, who require more time and money, to find a home with a single parent because it's better than being completely parentless.
Don't give me that "the kids will turn out gay" line, either. Most gay people have straight parents.
To "riiight":
So, by your logic, when parents divorce or one dies, the children should be handed over to the state until a family with a mother and father can be found?
Here's a stat for you:
[In the US] in 2006, nearly one quarter (23 percent) of children lived with only their mothers, 5 percent lived with only their fathers" -- www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/famsoc1.asp
That is 28% of America's children who would end up wards of the state. That is insane.
So why hasn't that happened? Why is it allowed for one biological parent to raise the child(ren) alone? Because even though it's not so great for a kid to have only one parent (IMO), it's still better to have a stable home than to get bounced from one foster home to another. So why wouldn't having two loving, stable "moms" or "dads" be better?
And single people can adopt "in most cases" when they're financially capable and have the time to care for the children. Here's another fact for you: "Approximately 25 perc
Hey Mike, how do two homosexuals " Have a family "?
Right. They can't. There's a reason single individuals aren't permitted in most cases to adopt children either and that's because that situation is not in the best-interest of the child.
Kids need mom AND dad.
Those who donated to prop 8 reached into the lives and homes of other and destroyed their marriages and made their children bastards. Just before the election supporters of prop 8 threatened anyone who supported no on 8 with being outed and boycotted. Prop 8 supporters hate children and families.