Prop 8

Good evening. I'm a little, oh, baffled, bewildered, angry, incensed, livid - pick an adjective. Any of them will fit tonight. I am a heterosexual woman. I have gay friends that I love with all my heart. If we are to be the people we were intended to be, we must have equal rights for everyone. EVERYONE. How in the world did Iowa and Vermont come to represent what the Declaration of Independence guarantees for everyone in this country and a state like California come to represent the worst??? We cannot stand before the rest of the world demanding they clean up their human rights issues when we can't even hold up our end. Something is very, very wrong.

The Declaration of Independence sets this ideal right up front: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ALL men, not just some men or the ones you agree with. ALL MEN.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights also says: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. I think that about covers everyone, don't you???

We cannot continue to discriminate or persecute a group of people just because they're different - doesn't matter who they are. Young, old, black, white, Asian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, atheist, agnostic, gay, straight - everyone is entitled to the same rights, equality, and acceptance under the law. Both legally and morally.

It's hard to live in a world, and in a country, where one group of its citizens continue to be discriminated against and labeled as different. The Nazis were brought down in the 1940s. It's time we as Americans practice what we preach.

Be the change you want to see. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for people of good will to do nothing. Don't do nothing. Be the change. If you believe this continued discrimination is wrong, stand up and say so. And don't quit until the change is made in the right direction.

I'm hopping off my soapbox for tonight. I hope everyone who reads this will stand up and say "No, this is wrong and we are not okay with it."