The status is not quo.

[ladyfalcon]

So, I'm still really, really happy about Obama's victory. I'm glad for everyone else who's happy, too.

But I woke up this morning and my first thought was, "What the fuck, California?"

I don't mean to be harder on California than anyone else: Arizona, Florida, Arkansas, and Oklahoma all passed legislation or elected officials who they should be ashamed of.

But what really gets me, what really gets right up my left nostril, is California.

Because their fucking farm animal proposition, which provides for the comfort of animals being raised for food, passed with 63% of the vote, while the comfort and rights of actual human beings who are their friends and family and neighbors couldn't muster the extra 4% needed to continue to exist.

Who are these people? There are people out there who decided that they needed happy food animals more than they needed human rights, who ticked a box for yes on Prop 2 and also yes on Prop 8. Who the fuck are you, you people who couldn't live with sad meat but actively desired the continued second-class status of people?

Euphoria is an emotion that by its very nature is short-lived. I was euphoric last night. Today, it's time to wake up and look at what needs to be done now. Am I still hopeful? Do I still believe that "we can"? Obviously, or I'd have to kill myself. I just wish that we had gotten more of the work done en masse last night, and saved ourselves the continuing months and years of continued fighting. We had an opportunity, and we only partially grasped it, which is always a somber situation.

ETA: They're saying now that with only 400,000 votes between Yes and No on Prop 8, and from 3-4 million provisional and absentee ballots yet to be counted, the issue is officially still too close to call. My point that there's no way an animal rights issue should have a landslide victory while human beings have to struggle for their own happiness still stands, but I'm hanging on to hope until all the votes have been counted.

Comments

[ladyfalcon.livejournal.com]

Is MARRIAGE even taught in schools? I went to private parochial school, so I had a half-assed religious education during my elementary years, but I don't remember ever being taught about marriage. If your parents have one, isn't that enough to teach you everything you need to know? (My parents' taught me enough to know that I don't want one).

[lostsailors.livejournal.com]

Just here to butt in because I am still here (making sure I didn't come off as base in my reply up there, never sure, I really hope I didn't!) but no, not at all. That was a propaganda lie to incite the masses I guess.

[ladyfalcon.livejournal.com]

And I mean, there's not even any data showing a correlation between children being raised by a gay couple and turning out gay. I hardly think that if children were taught that gay marriage exists in schools that it would take otherwise-straight youngsters and "turn them gay," which I suppose is the ultimate fear. The religious right has to take care of the gay menace now so that it's eradicated by the time the grandkids grow up, I guess.

[lostsailors.livejournal.com]

The thing is, incomprehensible as it seems, there are people who totally, 100 percent believe the "turn them gay" theory. I was brought up in UT, MORMON MECCA though I am anti-all-religions and have never even gone to church in my life and never will. (Disclaimer: I also know amazing, good, kind Mormon folk who are good normal people as well, it's the ignorant zealots I am complaining about now) When I was working there though I had a boss. Super conservative. I think it could have been the first time gay marriage was going through a bill like this in some state. His view was being gay was like gambling. If you legalized it, everyone would do it.

I kid you not.

We would ask him, is it such a razor edge? Would HE cross over if it became "ok?" (Honestly I think he would be he seemed like one of those American Beauty closeted sorts).

He never really had an answer than made sense, but yes, that was his belief.

He also though gayness was an invention of modern society and had only been around since 1920.

HELLO ANCIENT GREECE.