Monday, October 27, 2008

Prop 8 - Fighting Back

A few friends have inspired me of late. On friend is the woman in the article below who stole "Yes on Prop 8" signs in Carlsbad not because she thought there should be no signs up but because dirving by 22 signs on a daily basis got to be too much. I don't agree with stealing but I get the point. She needed to do something to oppose the proposition that would take away her marriage.

Prop 8 Sign Theft

Another friend wrote a letter of response to an article that ties human trafficking to Prop 8. Summary: pass Prop 8 to protect the nuclear family. The decline of the traditional family is sending young girls into the sex trade. The guy's view on the world is as limited as his view on prostitution. Only girls? Well, I wrote him back too.

Prop 8 or Prositution article

My reponse:

Dear Mr. Nassif,

I received your article on Proposition 8 from a friend and was not only appalled but was generally unimpressed with your argument that Prop 8 will protect children against child prostitution by solidifying the idea of the traditional nuclear family.

In other countries, where sex tourism is prominent, the children sold into the sex trade are not sold into the trade because the sanctity of the traditional family has not been upheld. Culturally speaking, they believe more in the traditional family than the U.S. does including care for elders, taking in members of the family that cannot care for themselves, etc. Economy, drug addiction, their own prostitution as children, social threats and other factors as well as the high demand (much of it from heterosexual family men who have wives and children at home) all factor into human trafficking. Sex tourism exists not because of homosexuals but because of people.

Your argument is incomplete by they way. Are young girls the only victims of human trafficking in the U.S.? Young boys end up in prostitution too. Again, the main clients are straight men. Does this shock you? Does it appall you? Do you really think that a gay couple getting married will increase this?

I am curious as to how shocking you thought your article would be and how frightened a voter would need to be to agree and be influenced by the argument. That voter, who subscribes to your argument, is far beyond the reach of any sort of rational argument.

I am disgusted at the people who are proponents of Proposition 8. We in California and those outside of California bring shame to our nation each time they vote for and allow to be enacted a law that limits the rights of others for no reason other than bigotry. This is not a safety issue. Do you want to stop human trafficking and sex tourism? Help the impoverished. Give kids who can no longer live at home a place to go. Do not insinuate that you will make any contribution to helping those victims by voting Yes on Proposition 8.

I think that the people who really love each other and are getting married to share a life together will more greatly contribute to the sanctity of marriage and the stability of family than those who enter marriage with no intention or ability to maintain their vows. People make mistakes. There will be divorce and unhappiness but amongst that there will be great and non-judgmental love. That love makes a stable person. Denying that for anyone, child or adult, is ridiculous no matter the person’s sexual preference.

Thank you for reading,

Rabiah Coon


Bottom line: it is almost election day. I'm not going to stand for anything I don't want as part of my state or my country anymore. I'm ready to vote and ready to fight the rest of this week out. It is sad to me that bigotry and small-mindedness even has a chance, and scares me.