Hopefully My Last Post on Prop 8

I know some of you are on the opposite side of me on Prop 8. I can respect that. What bothers me is the ugly turn this continues to take. What bothers me is the abuse the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) have taken in support of all of this.

What I have found interesting is some of those who have come out to provide support to the Mormons over the backlash they (we) have received:

Anti-Defamation League Condemns Criminal Activity Targeting Religious Institutions That Supported Proposition 8

"Although we strongly opposed Proposition 8, its passage does not justify the defacement and destruction of property. We urge Californians to channel their frustration and disappointment in productive and responsible ways to work towards full equality for all Americans. To place anyone in fear of threat to their houses of worship or their personal security because they have expressed deeply held religious views is contrary to everything this nation represents. Our Constitution's First Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion for all of us."

Dallas Morning News Editorial: Protest and Civility in a Democracy

“But a vicious minority is not satisfied with that. Some gay rights protesters have voiced sentiments about Mormons, whose church was active in advocating Prop 8's passage, that if said about gays would be condemned as hate speech. Vandals have struck a number of Mormon temples. Bash Back, a pro-gay group in Olympia, Wash., trashed a Mormon temple there, then issued a statement saying, ‘Let this be a warning to the Mormon church: Dissolve completely or be destroyed.’

“Gay rights extremists should ask themselves the same question. A cause, no matter how just, can only be harmed by thuggish tactics. Our pluralist democracy depends on a citizenry committed to working out differences with civility.”


Michael Barber, Professor of Theology, Scripture & Christian Thought at John Paul the Great Catholic University

“… we found it appalling that in the final days of the campaign, opponents of Proposition 8 ran an ad in which Mormon missionaries were presented as barging into a same-sex couple’s home, gleefully rummaging through their personal possessions and violating their rights. The ad attempted to ridicule people of the Mormon faith, even implying that it was wrong that they contributed money to the election. As a Catholic school, we stand beside our friends in the Mormon Church and of people of faith who work tirelessly to preserve the freedom of religion in America. We also strongly oppose any attempt to ridicule another person’s faith, even faiths with which we have strong historical and theological disagreements.”

The First Amendment Center — Charles Haynes: When the Marriage Debate Turns Ugly, No One Wins

“Mormons are taking the biggest hit from the opposition. But as protests, boycotts and blacklists targeting Mormons proliferate, it’s worth pausing to think about where this collision is headed. … Before this clash escalates further, both sides should exercise caution and reconsider their battle plans going forward.”

The Christian Post — Chuck Colson: So Much for Tolerance

“Two days after the election, 2,000 homosexual protesters surrounded a Mormon temple in Los Angeles chanting ‘Mormon scum.’ Protesters picketed Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, holding signs reading ‘Purpose-Driven Hate.’ Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills was spray painted. Church members’ cars have been vandalized, and at least two Christians were assaulted. Protesters even hurled racial epithets at African-Americans because African-Americans voted overwhelmingly in favor of traditional marriage. What hypocrisy from those who spend all of their time preaching tolerance
to the rest of us!”

Beliefnet.com — Rod Dreher: Stand By the Mormons

“Now is the time for traditional Christians — Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox — to come to the aid of our Mormon friends. They put themselves on the front line of the traditional marriage battle like no other church group. And now individual Mormons are paying a terrible price for standing up for something we all believe in. I don't know how we can stand with them from afar, but at least we can thank them, and speak out when we see them being abused. We might also think again about how we view them. … I have deep disagreements with Mormon theology. But they are our friends and allies and fellow citizens, and they deserve our thanks and support.”

The Volokh Conspiracy — Dale Carpenter: An Alternative to Anti-Mormon Protests

“Here's my advice to righteously furious gay-marriage supporters: Stop the focus on the Mormon Church. Stop it now. We just lost a ballot fight in which we were falsely but effectively portrayed as attacking religion. So now some of us attack a religion? People were warned that churches would lose their tax-exempt status, which was untrue. So now we have (frivolous) calls for the Mormon Church to lose its tax-exempt status? It's rather selective indignation, anyway, since lots of demographic groups gave us Prop 8 in different ways — some with money and others with votes. I understand the frustration, but this particular expression of it is wrong and counter-productive.”

Where is MY Bailout?

Aren't you getting sick of everybody asking for a bailout? AIG, Fanny Mae, Freddie Mac, now the auto industry. I'm with Mitt Romney let Detroit go bankrupt. If we bail out every company and every industry just because one group of economists, lobbyists, or union says they are vital to the U.S. economy (and I'm not saying that their demise wouldn't be horrible and very far reaching) then we will create a disaster.

I've made more than my fair share of mistakes...I know that I am an extremely small drop in the ocean of the economy but I still understand that failure is what makes an individual, a business, and an economy stronger. Shouldn't I be entitled to a bailout because I made ill advised hiring decisions, rushed into a partnership with a partner that wasn't a good fit, or made bad decisions in company direction and focus, failed to see opportunity staring me in the face, or a hundred other decisions? Failure has made me a better manager, a better partner, and as a whole has made us a better company. I have paid, and continue to pay the price for some of my mistakes but you won't see me repeating those same mistakes.

With regards to the auto industry. They have allowed management to create resentment among their workers by flying private jets, having private lunch rooms, and generally creating a class system within their company. They've allowed labor unions to make demands that are obviously untenable and would clearly lead to massive financial problems in the future. They are developing an inferior product for the price and expect me just because I'm an American that I have a patriotic duty to buy their product.

The only way the federal government should get involved in any of this is post bankruptcy recovery plans that have a clear and obvious restructuring plan and a plan for profitability, not just short-term, but long term as well.

My tax dollars should not be going to corporate retreats, or lavish rewards on executives that have either participated in failed policies or have not stood up and demanded change.

I can't wait...only 5 more days

Trying to Digest the Political Cycle

If you hate politics, stop reading. Last night was a very interesting night. After following the election for the better part of 18 months I'm happy it is over. I'm not thrilled with the Obama win, but I will support him as the President of the United States. I think it is a telling story to the Republican party to which I most closely affiliate myself. Republicans need to regroup, put together a plan and come up with some solid ideas and solutions to the problems we face. This total butt-kicking should be a wake-up call that divisive politics and me-too ideas do not resonate with the American public at large. We need real leaders, with real solutions, with some real world experience. I hope we see some new leadership emerge and some new ideas put forth.

In addition to the presidential politics I want to say I admire the courage of some of my friends who defended their beliefs and supported Prop 8 despite having eggs thrown at them, being screamed at, being threatened, flipped off on the freeway and mistreated in every way you can think of. I can respect the opinions and the passion behind both sides of the issue but I don't understand the complete lack of respect that was shown to nearly anybody that supported Prop 8. Now I'm sure there was some hatred towards those that opposed it, but I don't think it was nearly as common place...could be wrong, but not from the people I've talked to.

This election cycle has opened my eyes to the passion that people feel behind politics. What has disturbed me is how dogmatic people are in their beliefs. I don't believe that God has endorsed any one political party despite what Mike Huckabee (and some other local people I've met) might think. There are solid principles found in both major political parties and some solid ones found outside of the two major political parties. While we may not always agree on principles I think we can all agree on our desire for a country where we enjoy our rights and freedoms...I think there are far more places of common ground that can and should be the focus of our political discussion. Wedge issues don't help move a society foward...Here's hoping that the next cycle has a tone of more civility.