Yes on 8 Campaign Desperate, Disgusting, Abusive of Children and Families

Timothy Kincaid

October 26th, 2008

The Yes on 8 Campaign must be feeling desperate as a result of a recent poll showing that the initiative is behind. Their behavior has become erratic, verging on criminal, and truly reprehensible.

On the 23rd we reported that the highest level of leadership in the campaign had engaged in efforts that might well fall under the legal definition of blackmail or extortion. On Friday, Ken Mettler, the head of the Bakersfield area Yes on 8 Campaign was videotaped punching and kicking an opponent to the initiative. And now the campaign has engaged in activity that should give any parent pause.

In their newest television ad, the Yes on 8 Campaign focuses on the field trip that some San Francisco children took to celebrate their teacher’s wedding. It goes without saying that they distort the story; dishonesty is the hallmark of the Yes on 8 efforts. And although this lack of integrity is worthy of indignation, what truly reveals the immorality of their efforts is that they chose to exploit images of the children that attended.

It is one thing to criticize the decisions of the parents and the school’s administation. It is quite another to plaster the face of children across the television screens of all California households and present them for ridicule.

The parents are furious.

They are sickened to find that their own children are being used as a prop to advance a cause which they do not support. And they have requested that Yes on 8 take down the ad that uses the video of their children. (ABC7)

“I’m horrified that her image is being used this way and I want it taken down,” said Jennifer Press referring to the new ad. Her 6-year old daughter Lucy was part of a field trip to City Hall two weeks ago to see her teacher married to her same sex partner. Now pictures from that field trip have made their way into a Yes on Prop 8 ad.

Laura [Hodder], whose son Ben is also in the ad, told reporters Sunday, “You can’t use children’s images in political statements like this. No one asked us to use our children. No one talked to us about this. And I feel like my children are being manipulated.”

From their press release

“We are absolutely outraged that you have chosen, without permission, to shamelessly hijack the images of our innocent children to promote a cause that we in no way, shape or form support. It is even more maddening that you have willfully and calculatingly edited the images of our children, with menacing music in the background, in a way that is completely contrary to their nature and harmful to them.”

Ah, but these “good moral people” who believe that “parents and not liberal schools should be the protectors, guardians and ultimate teaches of their own children” seem to have no respect for parents when they don’t support their anti-gay agenda. They have told these parents that they have no intention of stopping the exploitation of their kids.

“The images of the children wouldn’t be in the public domain if they hadn’t called the press and publicized it. It’s been on national TV.”

Now, I don’t know what legal recourse these parents have. Whether they have any ability to stop Yes on 8 from making the face of their son or daughter into the mascot of the Yes on 8 Campaign is something for better legal minds than mine.

But I do know evil when I see it.

And choosing to subject a very young child to ridicule and notoriety against the expressed wishes of their parents is unquestionably evil. I did not think that the Yes on 8 Campaign could stoop lower than their extortion efforts, but this new act of theirs is beyond contemptious.

I hope and pray that Californian parents are disgusted by this abuse and through it come to recognize the Yes on 8 Campaign for its true nature: selfish, evil, arrogant, and mean.

Louie

October 26th, 2008

Wow! Here I thought that the yes on 8 committee had scaped the bottom of the barrel with their extortion letters sent out to businesses that gave money to the no on prop. 8 committee. And that old Al Capone would have been proud of their extortionist tactics.

Now this!!!

Outrageous! Disgusting! Beneath pond scum!

Even Al Capone would say “vaffanculo!” at using children for their own political gains, especially without parental notification!!!

Hello!!! I thought the yes on 8 committee was in favor of parental notification. Oh, unless they knew that they would never get parental approval, so they make and air the ads anyway!

Things are really, really going to start getting nasty. Now I can see why the Mormon church is starting to back away from what they have wrought. Unfortunately for them, they have unwittingly opened Pandora’s box!


California – Vote “NO” on Prop. 8!
Arizona – Vote “NO” on Prop. 102! AGAIN!
Florida – Vote “NO” on Amendment 2!
Connecticut – Vote “NO” on Question 1!

jOHN

October 26th, 2008

Wait there must be some mistake. Good Christians wouldn’t exploit children.

Oh I understand these are not Christians after all they are sick and hate full people!

Dan

October 26th, 2008

Why would any parent put their kids on a street corner on an issue like Prop 8?

If you signed a permission slip to allow your kids to stand on a “public” street to support gay marriage and also uploaded a video with them supporting gay marriage as part of a field trip – do not cry now!

Parents really need to think before they sign the form.

Stefano A

October 26th, 2008

While these parents have issued a press release, and hopefully contacted major media presses as well to voice their “disgust” and opinions who will do further coverage, additionally this would be a perfect opportunity for the parents to contact No On Prop 8 and collaborate with them on their own PSA. One that doesn’t include their children in the PSA, but is focused on the parents, their complaints about the distortion of the event and clarification of how it was parent initiated, and their complaints about the Yes On 8’s disregard of their, the parent’s, parental rights and decisions, to point in application how little Yes on 8 cares in reality about parental rights, just how little regard they have for actual parental rights, and blatantly demonstrate how the sole objective of Yes On 8 is to not only deny the rights of gays to marry but trample the rights of everyone else.

Timothy Kincaid

October 27th, 2008

Dan,

Most parents wouldn’t think that allowing their kids to throw rose petals at their teacher somehow equated with allowing them to be used by political operatives to deny rights to people they love. Funny that you would think so.

AJD

October 27th, 2008

It seems that the Yes on 8 campaign stoops to new lows every day. The fundamental premise of their campaign is dishonest and, as Tim writes, evil, so it’s no surprise that they’ll do anything to persuade people to vote for their stupid amendment.

Reverend Joe BAYTZIM

October 27th, 2008

It’s quite clear that Jesus is against Proposition 8. The majority of Americans belong to Churches that agree.

Pomo

October 27th, 2008

Oh God. Its enough to make me sick. Really.

How can I ever step foot in a church again? Or associate with people who do such things in the name of Christ?

Ugh.

utah reader

October 27th, 2008

Had a big enough taste of what Mormon-style Theocracy would mean for the Golden State, Californians? Ask a non-LDS or inactive/ex-LDS member in Utah. We know.

Cain Hamm

October 28th, 2008

This looks like a real concern: Proposition 8 may make Polygamy legal. You have to wonder about its strange wording.

Timothy Kincaid

October 28th, 2008

Cain Hamm aka Joe Baytzim is incorrect. There is nothing about Proposition 8 that would make polygamy legal.

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