Why I'm voting yes on 8

OK I have heard the litany of advertisements by the opponents of prop 8. I’ve gotten e-mails from those who oppose it. They have become increasingly loud and insistent. They talk about prop 8 being unfair and wrong. They claim homosexuality won’t be required to be taught in schools or parents can pull them out if they want. They claim it won’t affect churches. They claim it has nothing to do with protecting children.

I disagree.

I am tired of being portrayed as someone who is putting down a group of people, discriminating them and stripping them of god given rights because I support prop 8.

I agree with the need for us to not discriminate against gays. I feel that children and or adults should not use slurs, tease or torment those who are. However I don't feel that the definition of marriage needs to be re-defined to "prove" that I will support people who are gay.

My sister in law is gay. We love and support her and her partner and she knows that. She also knows that we will be voting yes on prop 8 and knows that our love for her has nothing to do with it. I think that that the most clever and erroneous thing that the opponents of prop 8 have done is to make everyone who is for it appear to be hateful bigots that are denying people their civil rights.

Take all religion out of it. Take out the fact that homosexuality might or might not be taught in schools or that churches might or might not be affected. Re defining the family, which is our fundamental unit of society, is to change our society. It might not be evident tomorrow but it will be eventually. I really feel that allowing same sex marriages will have farther reaching consequences than any of us can foresee right now.

I have already seen the backlash of being a person who is supporting traditional marriage and family. I am very respectful of those who don't feel the same way I do. I think it is their right and privilege to display how they feel and have conversations about it. In return I get my signs stolen and defaced and hurtful things yelled at me. I feel that I am getting a glimpse of how I will be treated if Prop 8 doesn't pass and I still want to teach my children that traditional marriage is the best way to raise a family.

I don’t want a society that will villainize my children and grandchildren for teaching that a traditional family is ideal.

In my opinion prop 8 has everything to do with protecting children.

If this issue was about only allowing adults to do what they want I would have no problem with it. It's not about adults alone it's about children as well. It's not so much even about what children will be taught in schools but about providing the best home environment for them to grow up in.

Opponents of prop 8 have argued that we would be taking away fundamental rights. I feel that by not voting yes we would be taking away the fundamental rights of children to be raised in an environment that gives them the best chance for a healthy-well rounded upbringing.

Studies have repeatedly shown that the best environment for children to be raised in a low conflict home with a mother and a father. Both parents provide individual support, nurturing and training individual to their sex. That can't be replaced by simply having another adult in the home. My friends and family members who grew up in a single parent home feel that they lost out on the things that the other parent could've provided. If they could go back they would have all preferred to have both parents with them growing up.

So which sex is less necessary? Which parent does a child not need?

Opponents of prop 8 argue that prop 8 is wrong and unfair.

I think it’s wrong and unfair to make the rights of a few dictate the rights of the majority.

I have a family that has three members that will never get taller than 4’2”. Every time my husband goes to the store he can’t reach about 1/3 of the items on the shelf. It’s inconvenient for him and all of those who are his stature but I don’t think it would be right to change the laws to force society to make everything within his reach. Fulfilling his needs and those of his stature alone would come at too high of a cost for stores and the majority of the population. We can see that and we don’t think life and society is unfair to us because of it.

Acceptance and tolerance is about supporting people and treating them with love and respect. Acceptance and tolerance does not require redefining laws and society.

That's why I'm voting yes on prop 8.