Yes on Prop 8 can dish it out, but they can't take it

[giza]

Remember those Yes on Prop 8 people, the same ones who threatened business leaders?

Well, it seems there is a bit of a backlash in the aftermath of Proposition 8 being voted in. Surprisingly, an entire group of people who just had their rights taken away are not too happy about this. That being the case, there have been protests and boycotts taking place.

Proponents of Proposition 8 have labeled the activities "mob justice" and decried the donor boycotts as "McCarthyism." The measure had passed 52-48 percent.

"People have the right to protest, but when you go over the line deciding to send out blacklists and boycotts because you lost, that is wrong; that is intolerable,'' said Frank Schubert, manager of the pro-Proposition 8 campaign. "It's a political mob as bad as McCarthy was."

No one in California political circles has ever seen such a speedy response to a single political event. And it's spreading across the country. More than 10,000 rallied in New York City on Wednesday evening. By Thursday afternoon, dozens of postings encouraging boycotts could be found on Facebook, MySpace and other Web sites, suggesting which businesses should be targeted. Most were in Southern California.

Then again, this is the same Frank Schubert who used pictures of children over the objection of their parents in his little campaign, so I can't say I'm surprised to see him whining like this, either.

Comments

[alphaggek.livejournal.com]

One wonders if they sent similar letters to AT&T and Comcast?

[simbab.livejournal.com]

The anti-Mormon undercurrent to these protests makes me a little uneasy. This is for a lot of reasons, but I think that this (http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/14180.html#comment-721172) comment is probably the source of that feeling for me:

While it may be useful from a tactical point of view to identify attributes that were positively correlated with voting “yes” on prop 8, in order to plan a campaign to reverse it, it is invidious to “profile” on that basis (I’m not suggesting you are doing that). Individuals are individuals. The only group that can blamed - if blame is appropriate - for the “yes” vote on prop 8 is that composed of the individuals who voted “yes” on prop 8, and, perhaps, those who would have opposed it but didn’t vote at all.

The last thing that the anti-Prop 8 forces need is to be accused of scapegoating.

The poll that person is commenting on is here (http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/timespoll/la-110608-me-superchart-g,0,3878384.graphic).

[samurai-bastard.livejournal.com]

So now that they know even one small amount what it feels like to be effected by their views and who they are, they are calling it a "McCarthy witch hunt"? These people seriously need to go fuck themselves, I am sorry but because some people boycotting your business because you are an intolerant cunt it is hardly comparable to being blacklisted from your way of life for supporting a political ideal that never tried to take the rights from anyone. Until they live in a country that has gone out of its way to hate your political ideals for the better part of a hundred years I swear I will personally cock punch any right-wing jackass that thinks that they are being persecuted even 1/5 of what socialists have been in this country (minorities and homosexuals exempt from this).

[giza.livejournal.com]

The anti-Mormon feelings probably have something to do with this: Mormons began plotting against gay marriage for decade, memo shows (http://www.365gay.com/news/mormons-began-plotting-against-gay-marriage-for-decade-memo-shows/)

According to the article, the church spent $25 Million into anti-same sex marriage stuff in California. I can understand why people are pissed at them.

[simbab.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know about that memo, and I know about the money they spent on Prop 8. However, I don't see it as useful to target Mormons in a campaign to reverse Prop 8, and I see a lot of problems with doing so. One, it doesn't really accomplish anything, especially when you are protesting against an entrenched church hierarchy who is not going to ever change their minds on this issue. If you want to effect change in the Mormon church (a goal arguably separate from reversing Prop 8), then go to the individual members. There are a lot of disaffected Mormons who are not in sync with the church leadership on this issue. Furthermore, the church leadership seems to have sold out to the fundies in exchange for some of that sweet wingnut welfare. They, like gay Republicans, will never be accepted and really, they are just tools to the Tony Perkins and James Dobson types, who hate their guts.

If you want to reverse Prop 8, like that quote says, you need to convince voters who voted "yes" to change their minds. Protests are more useful when you are trying to effect change in the policy of some authority. These protests are little more than venting for a frustrated community, and that's fine as long as they stay away from anti-religious action, which could easily get out of hand and come back to effect the reversal campaign in a bad, bad way. Convince people to vote "no" the next time the issue comes up--it comes down to that.

Targeting identity groups is dangerous stuff, and what's more it won't even work in this case, because there is no one identity common to people who voted 'yes' other than the fact that they voted 'yes'. So target that.

[drleo.livejournal.com]

Oh, gawd, people like this drive me crazy. When they speak, it's freedom of speech. When others speak, it's a mob. Since when is boycotting anything but freedom of choice? It's people like this who try to label protests as "domestic terrorism" to make people think they're criminal.

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

People who protest and boycott cannot complain that others are doing the same to them. Ask Frank "the Dildo" Schubert what the Golden Rule is sometime.

[neillparatzo.livejournal.com]

I do not think "McCarthy" means what Frank thinks it means.

[atara.livejournal.com]

I completely agree that Mormons, as a religious group, should not be "targeted" for any type of action against the individuals.

On the other hand, the Mormon church contributed significantly to a political process, which puts them at risk for losing their tax-exempt status. I think that's the tact that's being taken here.

[ilthuain.livejournal.com]

It would've been kinda nice if people took to the streets and got organized BEFORE the damn vote.

[ilthuain.livejournal.com]

"...which puts them at risk for losing their tax-exempt status."

Not really. You'd have to prove that the money they put forward is a significant amount of their annual income, and even then it wouldn't likely happen.

[eddiddiums.livejournal.com]

I would also like to note that people from the Yes on 8 campaign were contacting people who donated to the vote no camp threatening to publish the names of their business on boycott lists if they did not make equal donations to their camp. To see them get mad that business that supported prop 8 are getting boycotted is hypocrisy at it's finest.

[bushrat.livejournal.com]

OMG!!! These idiot's actions are actually coming back to bite them in the ass?! Quick, call the Whaaambulance!

Seriously, I hope these BASTARDS get exactly what's coming to them...and sooner rather then later...

Rant Ahead!

[silent-o.livejournal.com]

"It's a political mob as bad as McCarthy was."
EPIC FAIL!!!

Uhh... wasn't the Civil Rights movement chock full of boycotts, protests, and demonstrations?

Oh, and just for the hell of it:

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution!!!

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."



The Mormon church, while it has dealt with some discrimination in the past, has never been through what the homosexual community has.

Have they been systematically rounded up, stuffed into cattle cars, shipped hundreds of miles with no food or water, separated from their loved ones, tattoed, starved, worked to death, and executed?

Have they had to live in fear of being arrested for public indecency and "obscene" behavior? Were they forced to go to mob controlled bars in order to drink and socialize in "safety"?

Are they being targeted by so called "good, decent God fearing Americans"? Have they had their right to married life revoked?

Have they been targeted by hate filled people, people who have tied them to the backs of trucks and dragged them to their deaths?

No. All they had was a pissant little failed revolution in the 1850's that was snuffed out by the feds.


How, exactly, are we destroying the sanctity of their marriages? Are we trying to make it so that straight people can't marry? Hell no! All we want is to be granted the same LEGAL rights as heterosexual couples. I for one couldn't give a shit about the religious aspect of marriage. They can keep that.

[giza.livejournal.com]

As much as I understand your anger, I cannot condone violence.

[thraxarious.livejournal.com]

Violence and mayhem would play right into their hands. We need to Ghandi them to death.

[tlttlotd.livejournal.com]

A few of us who are professional consultants are also turning down gigs with companies that supported prop-8.