BELOW IS A GREAT ARTICLE EXPLAINING THE LDS POSITION ON PROP 8 FOR WHICH I EXPECT TO TAKE SOME HEAT AS A SO-CALLED "BIGOT". THE FACTS ARE BELOW. WE ARE JUST THE LITTLE GUY (2% OF CALIFORNIA'S POPULATION) SO WE TAKE THE MOST HEAT BY THE 5% (WHO IS BEATING UP ON WHO?). CALL RIGHTS TO SEE A 'LOVED ONE' IN THE HOSPITAL SOMETHING ELSE AND YOU HAVE NO FIGHT. CALL IT MARRIAGE AND FURTHER IMPINGE ON A SACRED ETERNAL ORDINANCE OF MINE AND YOU WILL HAVE A FIGHT ON YOUR HANDS - SOMETHING YOU CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE. YOU MIGHT AS WELL TRY AND TAKE MY KIDS OUT OF MY GRASP AS ATTEMPT TO ASSAULT THAT PRINCIPLE WITHOUT A FIGHT. FIRST A WAR OF WORDS - THEN SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WHEN A SMALL GROUP OF FOLKS IN THE SOUTH TRIED TO IMPOSE THEIR VALUE SET ON THE MORAL MAJORITY IN THE NORTH....
WE WERE DRIVEN AND SCOURGED OVER OUR 'IMMORAL' AND 'GROSS' STANCE ON POLYGAMY IN THE LATE 1800'S. WE WERE STRIPPED OF ALL OUR RIGHTS BECAUSE WE WERE NOT MORALLY ON THE 'INSIDE' - BECAUSE WE DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE STAUNCH IDEA OF JUST ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN. NOW WE ARE CALLED IMMORAL YET AGAIN PRECISELY BECAUSE WE FIND COURAGE TO CLEARLY STATE THAT MARRIAGE IS DEFINE PRECISELY AS BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.
WHAT INSANE CHAPTER WE EMBARK UPON. DO NOT CROSS LINES. THE RESULTS WILL BE CATASTROPHIC FOR THIS NATION AND PEOPLE THAT DEFIES GOD'S WAYS - YES, NOT THE MORMON'S WAYS, BUT GOD'S WAYS.
Thanks to Phil Wasden for sending this letter.
“In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:
Latter-Day Saints make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.
Latter-Day Saints voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.
The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.
Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.
The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.
African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.
The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).
The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, and Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Latter-Day Saints were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.
Not all Latter-Day Saints voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or herself. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.
The Church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process, to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church has always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.
Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do – we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.
Hold your heads up high – you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let's remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.
These are my personal opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in no way reflect official Church policy or doctrine.”
Thanks,
Kevin Hamilton
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