underdogishere

California's Proposition 8, and Anti-Marriage Amendment, has been much discussed on the Internets Tubes and in the news media, but I've heard nary a peep about Florida's equivalent, Proposition 2. I know the reason for this: In Florida, unlike California, gay marriage is already illegal, so the amendment won't have any immediate impact on anyone. But still, it irks me. There have been no ads, for or against, on the radio. No discussion. I've seen a few "Yes on 2" bumper stickers, complete with a stick-figure man holding hands with a stick-figure woman -- we know they are a man and a woman because one is blue and the other is pink. How... stereotypical. And I seen even fewer "Yes on 2" signs in yards. But when I went looking for a "No on 2" sign for my yard, there were none to be found. No yard signs, no bumper stickers.

What's up, people?

Locally, the Young Democrats and PFLAG have mounted an anemic "No on 2" campaign on a couple of blogs, but somehow I expected a much larger effort. Isn't anyone interested? This is a question of basic civil rights, people!

I was especially peeved to get my sample ballot in the mail and see that this hideous amendment is titled the "Florida Marriage Protection Amendment." How did that happen? The state Supreme Court is supposed to review all ballot initiatives to make sure they are worded clearly and fairly. "Marriage Protection" is neither clear nor fair. How many people will vote for it just because of the title, when they have no idea what it actually says? I wouldn't have expected the Court to compel a title that was actually accurate -- something like "Florida Marriage Destruction Amendment" -- but I still would have thought they would have approved something more neutral. "Protection"? Get real, people.

So what we have is a despicable attempt by hateful bigots to enshrine the deprivation of basic civil rights in the state's constitution, and all it's managed to stir up is a lackluster movement to pass it and an even less lustrous movement to oppose it. As it yawns its way to election day, I think our only hope that right will previal is that in Florida, unlike California, a constitutional amendment requires 60% of the vote to pass. Will it fail to muster that?

Hope is all we got.

Labels: Dubya, Gender Issues