**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**
U.S. ELECTION POST AHEAD!!!
U.S. ELECTION POST AHEAD!!!
For those not interested in the history being made today, that was your chance to exercise your right to click. Please, I want you to. Onward...
Apart from the presidential election, there are some important ballot measures being voted on today:
Prop 8 (California): This hideous little initiative, backed by a ton of religious right money, would rescind equal marriage in California, thereby protecting the Institution Of Marriage from whatever the fuck it is they think gay people will *do* to it. If it passes, Prop 8 would not only deny these citizens a basic human right, but will also throw a lot of married couples into limbo where their marriages are no longer recognized. And why not? It's just the Christian thing to do.
UPDATE: Bigotry won. Prop 8 passed, by a small margin.
Prop 4 (California): This anti-abortion measure would legislate parental consent for abortion. We need to remember our kids are individuals with rights of their own, including the right to privacy, and if our daughters can't trust us to know they're facing an unwanted pregnancy, there might be a good reason. Also, like all these nitpicky anti-choice laws, this just gets a foot in the door to further restrictive legislation.
UPDATE: Failed, 53-47.
Prop 48 (Colorado): This is one of the more idiotic anti-abortion initiatives to come along so far, and that's really saying something. Prop 48 would define a fertilized egg as a "person", with all the restrictions on abortion and contraception that definition engenders.
UPDATE: Failed, 72-27 (about the same margin as a similar measure failed by last time around -- ya think?)
Prop 11 (South Dakota): This is an outright ban on abortion, except in cases where it's necessary to save the woman's life. (How generous.) South Dakotans voted down a similar initiative 2 years ago -- ya think!? But anti-choicers just keep grinding away with no compunction about the taxpayers' money they waste on this bullshit.
UPDATE: Failed, 55-45
They're all in the west, so it's unlikely we'll know whether they passed or (hopefully) failed until the wee hours of tomorrow morning. But it's something else to watch for after the presidential race has been called.
Reproductive choice won, but marriage equality lost. I wonder what will happen to the couples already married? Prop 8 is retroactive, which if I'm not mistaken nullifies their marriages. Nice. I can't imagine people being any more vicious and petty.
PROP 8 UPDATE II: The No Side is not conceding yet. Good for them -- do not concede until every. last. vote. is counted.
PROP 8 UPDATE III: Passed, 52-48. What an embarrassment to all straight people. I am so sorry. I can only say: do not give up. Equality demands it.
Prop 8 (California): This hideous little initiative, backed by a ton of religious right money, would rescind equal marriage in California, thereby protecting the Institution Of Marriage from whatever the fuck it is they think gay people will *do* to it. If it passes, Prop 8 would not only deny these citizens a basic human right, but will also throw a lot of married couples into limbo where their marriages are no longer recognized. And why not? It's just the Christian thing to do.
UPDATE: Bigotry won. Prop 8 passed, by a small margin.
Prop 4 (California): This anti-abortion measure would legislate parental consent for abortion. We need to remember our kids are individuals with rights of their own, including the right to privacy, and if our daughters can't trust us to know they're facing an unwanted pregnancy, there might be a good reason. Also, like all these nitpicky anti-choice laws, this just gets a foot in the door to further restrictive legislation.
UPDATE: Failed, 53-47.
Prop 48 (Colorado): This is one of the more idiotic anti-abortion initiatives to come along so far, and that's really saying something. Prop 48 would define a fertilized egg as a "person", with all the restrictions on abortion and contraception that definition engenders.
UPDATE: Failed, 72-27 (about the same margin as a similar measure failed by last time around -- ya think?)
Prop 11 (South Dakota): This is an outright ban on abortion, except in cases where it's necessary to save the woman's life. (How generous.) South Dakotans voted down a similar initiative 2 years ago -- ya think!? But anti-choicers just keep grinding away with no compunction about the taxpayers' money they waste on this bullshit.
UPDATE: Failed, 55-45
Reproductive choice won, but marriage equality lost. I wonder what will happen to the couples already married? Prop 8 is retroactive, which if I'm not mistaken nullifies their marriages. Nice. I can't imagine people being any more vicious and petty.
PROP 8 UPDATE II: The No Side is not conceding yet. Good for them -- do not concede until every. last. vote. is counted.
PROP 8 UPDATE III: Passed, 52-48. What an embarrassment to all straight people. I am so sorry. I can only say: do not give up. Equality demands it.
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