bearing false witness

While coming home from Tahoe on Saturday, we took a random freeway exit off of Hwy 50 east of Sacramento so that I could take over driving for a while. In the process of finding a place to stop and swap, we found ourselves in the middle of a Yes On Prop 8 demonstration. Quite a few people were lining a major road holding "Yes On 8" signs that implored all who agreed to honk their horns. There was a disheartening amount of honking going on.

Any impression that this was a spontaneous grassroots activity was belied by the alarming number of cars and trucks professionally painted with "Yes on Prop 8" and the Yes On 8 logo parked in a lot around the corner from the main street (where we happened to pull in to stop). Thanks Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (i.e., Mormons). You can get a lot of nicely painted cars (and TV ads full of lies) for $20,000,000.

As we were heading back to the freeway, we were stopped at a signal in the midst of the demonstrators. Rocket Girl gave the nearby folks a thumbs-down sign and then lowered her window and engaged the young man nearest to us. She asked him why he wanted to take away the rights of gay people to marry. He responded that unless Prop 8 passed, he would not have the right to educate his children as he saw fit (i.e., he would be prevented from indoctrinating his children in the hateful discrimination that he was convinced his imaginary magical sky daddy mandated). Although I had at first been reticent about this confrontation (Go Rocket Girl!), I was about to explain to this person that his claim (like virtually all of the Yes On 8 propaganda) was a lying, steaming, pile of shit, but he backed away and the light changed and we were back on our way, steam issuing metaphorically from our ears.

Personally, I'm usually of the opinion that if, in attempting to gather people to your cause, you have to lie about pretty much everything about your position, you may be on the wrong side of the argument. And if those lies are in support of hatred and discrimination, then you're almost certainly on the wrong side.

It's almost (but not quite - well, actually, not even close) worth hoping that their delusional mythology is actually the truth. Because isn't lying supposed to be something of a no-no? It would be interesting to see the expressions on their faces when, at the end of their days, instead of being welcomed by Jesus into heaven, they found themselves in a somewhat warmer environment.

Them:

Unfortunately, most of the No On 8 ads have been pretty lame. I don't know how effective this one is, but at least it's amusing.

Bottom line, both the citizen and Rocket Girl temporarily interrupt this blog to ask those of you in California to please vote No on Proposition 8.

Thanks.