Chris Walker Vs. Proposition 2
Photo from Daylife.com
I’ve heard a lot of people talking about California’s Proposition 8, even in Reno where we can’t vote on it. I’ve read about the significant financial contributions made. I’ve seen the celebrity videos urging Californians to “vote no”. It’s quite a big deal. And rightly so, I presume. Proposition 8 is the ballot initiative to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California. The proposition has the potential to affect a lot of people’s lives (and their health benefits). If I were a California resident I would undoubtedly vote NO on Proposition 8, supporting all individuals right to marry whomever they chose.
Personally, I think we’ll all look back on “gay issues” fifty years from now the same way we view civil rights for African Americans. (Civil rights are on-going but it’s not like a black person is worth three-fourths of a vote anymore, or drinking from a separate water fountain.) One day we’ll all look back and say, Of course homosexuals should have been treated as equals to heterosexuals. They should’ve been allowed to get married all along. And kind of how you’ve got to remind your senile great-grandmother it’s not okay to say “the n-word”, our great grand-children will have to remind us it’s not okay to call things “gay” or call people “faggots”.
What I’m getting at is I think Americans are spending so much time worrying about gay marriage they may not realize there are equally important matters going on. For instance, Californians, you have the opportunity to significantly change how animals that become our food and make our food are treated. I’m referring to Proposititon 2 which considers the confinement of farm animals. California, if you vote YES on Proposition 2 you will be putting into effect an initiative that “Requires that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely,” according to the California General Election website. Do you realize how important that is? On top of the aforementioned, passing the initiative would do away with battery cages, cages which house up to eight or so hens for roughly ninety-five percent of their lives, a living condition which is epitome of animal cruelty. You have the opportunity to improve the living conditions of the animals that become our food. (These are practices organic farmers have already implemented, by the way.)
Proposition 2 is an incredibly significant issue. Call me naive but I think if you, Californians, all vote YES on Proposition 2, as powerful and influential as your state is, you will cause a domino effect and over time all states will in turn do the same. It’s mind-blowing, the power you hold in your hands this coming Tuesday.
EDUCATE YOURSELF:
Posted: October 30th, 2008 | Author: Chris Walker | Filed under: Food, Voting | 9 Comments »
Agreed and agreed.
Here is a comment I left on a relative’s blog who is Mormon and posted about voting yes on prop 8, explaining her view by saying, “understand this is not a republican or democratic view – simply the right thing for all of us!”
I replied-
“Here is my hope and belief; that one day society and the major theologies will be able to accept the God-given differences between us, just as we have come to accept that African-Americans, women, and others should hold the same rights as everyone else.
“Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so”
-Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses, vol.10, p.110)
Now, I do not bring this up to say that Brigham Young was a bad man, merely a product of his environment, in the same way as we are today. I also bring this up to illustrate that the church certainly evolves with society, and to emphasize my sincere belief that in our lifetime homosexual couples (just as interracial couples) will be welcomed with open arms into any church they choose.”
Did you hear that Mormons make up 2% of the population of California and have contributed as much as 70% of the resources for promoting Prop. 8? It is more than a little ironic for Mormons to be defending “traditional marriage.”
Also, Leviticus is full of interesting classifications of abomination, first we have the Westboro Baptist’s favorite abomination:
“If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13)
But, we also have many others that aren’t so vehemently espoused:
“They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination.” (Leviticus 11:11)
I might want to mention this one to the hoardes of Mormons flooding into the local Red Lobster every Sunday.
Also admonished in Leviticus is disrespecting your parents, (punishable by death) cutting the hair on the sides of your head or trimming your beard, eating pork, sleeping with your wife while she is on her period, even wearing two kinds of material (lolwut?).
There is also a verse that was similarly used to justify hate and prejudice 150 years ago-
“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property.” (Leviticus 25:44-45)
The Bible is bullshit, but if someone is going to use it to rationalize their hatred, I like to use it to point out their absurdity.
Oh, and go Prop.2!
In lab animal research, we follow The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Animal Welfare Act, and Title 9, all of which specify space requirements for almost every type of lab animal from mice to horses. It’s a shame that even lab animals have better lives than animals raised for food products.
About the gay issue: It’s hard to believe we want to represent the world regarding civil rights.
This makes no sense. Aren’t all gays vegetarians anyway?
@mike g: “It’s hard to believe we want to represent the world regarding civil rights.” Amen, brother. It would actually be laughable if it wasn’t so fucking sad that we shake the finger at others when we should turn the finger on ourselves.
As for animal rights, this is one instance where that damned PETA could be making an actual difference, and it doesn’t, because it chooses not to go up against the big boys. Instead, it finds satisfaction in depriving Chicago residents of foie gras because it’s a winnable war. As for the feed lots, the disease, the debeaking, the brutality….screw it….it’s easier to throw paint on a fur-wearing celeb.
I read prop 2 costs money so i voted against it
Lentzy: Ha. Ha. Don’t be a bitter fuck just because I didn’t vote for Nader. You know you voted for Prop 2.
lol, glad you at can read through the sarcasm. yeah, i’m just worried though that my tax dollars won’t be put to good use of actually checking up on these fucking assholes.
here’s a really amazing special on the government’s role in the country and how large farms steal funds told to be going towards small farms like the ones you support I imagine…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTI9r4pUYh4&feature=related
Lentzy: They will and they won’t be. The farms will find loopholes. The lobbyists will lobby. But serious watchdog agencies will do their part to ensure ethical practices are, in fact, ethical, and the Environmental Protection Agency will do their part as well (so long as they’re not being corrupted from within which they sometimes are). Prop. 2 will not solve all the problems, there will be bumps in the road, but it is undoubtedly a gigantic leap in the right direction.
And yeah, I know about big farms and some of despicable actions they take in the name of profit and greed. That’s why I try and avoid their products as much as possible. There’s even some corruption and negative aspects of some organic farms but it gets to the point where if you try to think about it all at once your head will explode.