Friday, November 7, 2008

They gotta blame someone

I don't even know where to start.  I'm frustrated and sickened by the twisted facts and hate I see as many "no on 8" supporters attack the mormon religion.  I understand the anger and despair that comes when your views are not supported by the popular vote.  And the need to blame.  But seriously people.  Where are you getting your facts?  I am proud for the right to vote on what I see as a MORAL issue and to donate MY money to support that issue.  I've never felt so torn by an election and such sorrow for the folks who lost.  Let me clarify that.  I'm not sorry for them because of their views.  I realize everyone thinks they are doing what's right.  Rather I feel sorrow at their grief, pain, and anger.  That said, I will campaign, donate, and vote according to my conscience and for that I do not apologize.   Here are a few facts a friend sent me that might put things into perspective.

1. Mormons make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.

2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8. (I will add San Bernadino, Riverside, San Diego and Orange County too- 3/4 of the counties)

7. African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or her self. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

11. The Church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process, to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church has always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.

12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do – we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.

9 comments:

Laura said...

Excellent post, I may to link to it on my blog. Thanks for the effort.

Heather B said...

Good on ya'. Thanks for your well-thought and well-phrased post. Check out Heather O's latest at mormon mommy wars. It might make you feel a little better. Thanks for all your hard work, and for being a light in the darkness.

The Andrew Family said...

Hi, I'm Laura's sister-in-law and found your blog link on hers. Would you mind if I added a link to mine? I'm from NY but most of my family lives in CA and it's been a hard fight. I think they would appreciate the facts you've put together.

littlest said...

thanks for the post niki--it makes me sick to listen to the protesters protesting outside the temple. it is hard to believe such persecution can still exist in this day and age. signs of the times and prophecy fulfilled.
you're wonderful and thanks again
do you mind if i post a link?

Niki said...

Of course! Who ever wants to link is welcome. I need to clarify however that I got this info from a message sent to my 4thwardgirls yahoo group. The credit for putting the facts together should go to a man named Kevin Hamilton. Thanks everyone.

The Birches said...

Niki,

That's a great post. I live in Vegas and didn't have to figure out how I would have voted on Prop 8 (although I probably would have voted "no" in the end), but I completely agree with you about the way in which people should approach the issue. If one person feels one way and another person feels another way, that doesn't make either side "evil" or "bigoted" or "stupid" or whatever. It just means we have different opinions. There is absolutely too much hate and vile involved in the elections, and it's disturbing. Great post.

Dustin

Heather said...

Thank you, Niki!

Vicki said...

I followed a link from Laura, and must say thanks, all these issues have been bothering me, and i was curious about knowing some of the facts you posted.

Chatty Natty said...

I don't know you but came across your blog from Joni and added a link on my blog. Thank you! Also, my brothers in the bay area just e-mailed this....you may want to take a look and post if you don't know about it already.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/10/MN4E141B3P.DTL