Opinion: In Friday’s Letters to the editor
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In Friday’s Letters to the editor, reaction to the passage of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in the State of California.
Most letter writers report that their joy over the election of Barack Obama is tempered by their disappointment--and in some cases, rage--over this measure’s victory.
Writes C. Stenke, of Los Angeles:
There is too much irony in the 2008 election. How can a people make such great progress by electing the first African-American president but relegate an entire section of its population to second-class citizenship?
Mike Henderson, also of Los Angeles, wonders why his community supported the measure:
It’s amazing that seven in ten blacks in California voted in favor of Proposition 8. Despite many of us having already received our not-so-subtle voting instructions on this issue in church the Sunday morning before the election, you could have figured that more blacks here would have known better than to inflict discriminatory laws upon another minority group. Regardless of personal religious views or insecurities, one’s credibility in the equal-rights arena is shot when you get caught ‘doing unto others’ that which you fought against when it was applied to you.
Studio City’s Jason W. Perrault sees it differently:
As a black male, I can tell you that the reason the African-American community voted for Proposition 8 had less to do with religion and more to do with a sense of resentment toward the gay community and the California Supreme Court for attempting to equate one’s bedroom activities with the color of one’s skin.
Joann Moschella, of Santa Cruz, sees a ray of hope.
We’re still here. Gay and lesbian folk are still waking up in the morning and pursuing our radical gay agenda of breakfast making, bill paying, exercise getting and hustling to bring home a paycheck. ...the people who sponsored Proposition 8...want to destroy gay people...Well, I’ve got news for them...we may not have won this round, but it’s clear which way this country is going. I say to the sponsors of Proposition 8, savor your victory. It’s you last hurrah.
*Photo of Proposition 8 protesters from AP Photo/George Nikitin.