Comments on: LA Times Article on Methodist Support http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/18/2389 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Sat, 25 May 2013 23:59:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: cd http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/18/2389/comment-page-1#comment-13878 cd Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:40:01 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/18/2389#comment-13878 It should be pointed out that California voters have soured on the referendum process and its constant misuses to try to bypass the state legislature on mundane matters in general. It's been a long time since any initiative that has started off under 50% support has succeeded in California. I think the climate on gay rights has changed since 2004-05. Up to 2005 about 98% of the 'undecideds' in polling on gay rights issues could be counted on to go to the anti-gay side at the ballot box. Since then I think that 'undecided' in gay rights polling has come to mean the genuine article, i.e. a third very slight leaners each way, respectively, and some people who won't vote or vote on purely arbitrary grounds. IOW, I suspect about a third of the 'undecideds' in the California polling can in fact be gotten to vote against Prop. 8. It should be pointed out that California voters have soured on the referendum process and its constant misuses to try to bypass the state legislature on mundane matters in general.

It’s been a long time since any initiative that has started off under 50% support has succeeded in California.

I think the climate on gay rights has changed since 2004-05. Up to 2005 about 98% of the ‘undecideds’ in polling on gay rights issues could be counted on to go to the anti-gay side at the ballot box.

Since then I think that ‘undecided’ in gay rights polling has come to mean the genuine article, i.e. a third very slight leaners each way, respectively, and some people who won’t vote or vote on purely arbitrary grounds. IOW, I suspect about a third of the ‘undecideds’ in the California polling can in fact be gotten to vote against Prop. 8.

]]> By: Richard W. Fitch http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/18/2389/comment-page-1#comment-13813 Richard W. Fitch Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:13:14 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/18/2389#comment-13813 This is the type of affirmation that mainstream America, and especially 'christian' America, needs to see in the struggle for marriage equality for ALL Americans. When the nation becomes more aware that not all same-sex couples seeking the rights and responsibilities of marriage are 'militant activists', the insight that they are not that much different than any other committed couple will, hopefully, sink in. It is sad when true Christians must resort to extreme means to have their unions blessed and that any clergy involved risk being censured by their church hierarchy. The quiet witness that this event proclaims needs to be subtly spread far and wide. This is the type of affirmation that mainstream America, and especially ‘christian’ America, needs to see in the struggle for marriage equality for ALL Americans. When the nation becomes more aware that not all same-sex couples seeking the rights and responsibilities of marriage are ‘militant activists’, the insight that they are not that much different than any other committed couple will, hopefully, sink in. It is sad when true Christians must resort to extreme means to have their unions blessed and that any clergy involved risk being censured by their church hierarchy. The quiet witness that this event proclaims needs to be subtly spread far and wide.

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