Obama Yes! Prop 8 No!

Don't let the "my vote doesn't count" fallacy depress you, because it is not true. Every vote counts. Whether you agree with my position on candidates and issues or not, please vote.

I believe that Barack Obama is by far the best choice for President.

If you are in California, please vote NO on Proposition 8 -- everyone deserves equal protection under the law and this proposition actually strips civil rights from a class of citizens. Regardless of where you are, please donate funds to support the No on 8 campaign at http://www.noonprop8.com/

Thanks!

Nov 2008 CA Propositions – Who Supports What?

I remember seeing a comparison chart of which group supports which proposition but can no longer find it. Also, how do you know that it was assembled accurately?

As an alternative, here are some direct links to who supports what for this November 2008 election:

League of Women Voters: http://ca.lwv.org/action/prop0811/index.html
Sierra Club: http://www.sierraclubcalifornia.org/elections.html
ACLU: http://www.aclunc.org/issues/propositions/index.shtml
Democratic Party: http://www.cadem.org/site/c.jrLZK2PyHmF/b.4213689/
Republican Party: http://www.cagop.org/index.cfm/november_ballot_propositions.htm
California Teachers Association: http://www.cta.org/NR/rdonlyres/7060CD06-4894-402F-B178-9031B27D1808/0/VoterGuidePublic.pdf


Here are my personal viewpoints on the California propositions:

Yes -- Prop. 1A, Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train. Bond Act
Because we need a more sustainable transportation infrastructure.

No -- Prop. 2, Standards for Confining Farm Animals. Statute.
Because there are too many laws and people are trending toward better treatment (organic, etc) without legislation.

Yes -- Prop. 3, Children’s Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program.
Because our children are our future and it is worth it to have better hospitals for them.

No -- Prop. 4, Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy. Constitutional Amendment.
Because a minor who is old enough to have kids, is old enough to make this call within the current legal system.

Yes -- Prop. 5, Nonviolent Drug Offenses, Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute.
Because it is less expensive and conserves more resources to rehabilitate rather than incarcerate.

No -- Prop. 6, Police and Law Enforcement Funding, Criminal Penalties and Laws. Statute.
Because this puts too many constraints on state funding.

No -- Prop. 7, Renewable Energy Generation. Statute.
Because this is poorly written and partly works against renewable energy.

NO!!!! -- Prop. 8, Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Constitutional Amendment.
Because eliminating civil rights is un-American and wrong.

No -- Prop. 9 -- Criminal Justice System. Victims’ Rights. Parole. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Because this legislation goes too far and is not really needed.

No -- Prop. 10 -- Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Statute.
Because legislation is not needed here, people are doing this already on their own.

Yes/Neutral -- Prop. 11, Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Because I'm willing to give it a try.

Yes -- Prop. 12, Veteran's Bond Act of 2008.
Because we must take care of those who we have asked to give life and limb for our protection.

Prop 8 is Hugely Wrong

For me the most significant proposition in the November 2008 election in California is Proposition 8. This is because it is a California Constitutional amendment to *eliminate* civil rights for a class of citizens.

Denying equal civil rights to anyone is un-American to the core.

When it harms no one else, everyone should have the right to choose what they want to do for themselves. So if you don’t believe in gay marriage, it is ok for you not to marry another gay person. t is ok for you to tell others that you don’t believe in it either. But it should not be ok for you to force your beliefs on others when it causes no harm to you but does directly harm them -- a whole class of human beings. This is just wrong!

Marriage has numerous tax, financial, societal, family, and legal benefits. Having 2 adults care for children provides a much more stable structure from which to grow a family. I am a married heterosexual but have many wonderful friends who are gay and who want to marry or have already married.

You should be free to practice whatever religion you wish and not have others force a religion on you. This is a key piece of American heritage that lead many to come to America before it was founded.

You should be free to vote. At one time women were not allowed to vote. Would it have been better to deny them voting rights? A basic civil right?

Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Hispanics, Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Indians, Blacks and more have all been persecuted at times and have had their rights limited. None of that was right.

If you vote yes on Proposition 8, it will be to deny a minority their civil rights. I will be extremely disappointed and will think less of you as a human. May you suffer some horrible discrimination yourself so you know what it is like to be a repressed minority. I have suffered such. Perhaps some of you have already as well. I am shocked and horrified that there are still so many bigots in our world.

Please vote NO on Proposition 8. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Tim Oey

Support Civil Rights, Vote No on Prop 8

Proposition 8 in California, if passed, "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry". It is an outrageous bill that perpetuates bigotry. Note that Sarah Palin is in favor of Proposition 8.

Thankfully a number of responsible California businesses have come out against Proposition 8. Proposition 8 is very wrong. It denies people a basic civil right to marry whom they choose. Just as a black person and a white person have a right to marry, so do people of other colors, religions, races, or sexual preferences.

Here is what Apple Computer has to say about Proposition 8:

"No on Prop 8
Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8."

Other companies opposing Proposition 8 include Levi Strauss & Co., Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and Google.

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

An excellent endorsement and worth reading.

Powell said "I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama."

Read more at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/19/colin.powell/index.html

The Chicago Tribune Captured the Moment

The Chicago Tribune just published a remarkable endorsement of Barack Obama -- their very first endorsement of a Democratic candidate for President. The article really captures the moment in this time in history. This is a must read for everyone -- whether you support Obama or not.

McCain Hurts Himself

"The McCain campaign’s recent angry tone and sharply personal attacks on Senator Barack Obama appear to have backfired and tarnished Senator John McCain more than their intended target, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll has found."

At one time I had higher hopes for McCain. His earlier campaign in 2000 seemed to stick to higher moral grounds. This time the Republican machine that got Bush elected seems to have dragged McCain down into the muck as illustrated by this recent article.

Admittedly, McCain is out of options. Obama is better at public speaking, is better educated, has a better team, and has better coverage of the issues that matter. So McCain has been forced to use character assasinations and falsehoods to try to win.

Plus, if you have an ill trained attack dog like Sarah Palin on your team, well then, you get what you deserve. Choosing Sarah Palin was a clear indication that McCain was going down the wrong track.

I am pleased that Barack Obama has a cleaner image and is sticking more to the moral high ground.

For more please read the New York Times article "Poll Says McCain Hurts His Bid by Using Attacks".