More Prop 8

I am amazed at the hatred that many pro-same sex marriage advocates have with the supporters of Proposition 8, especially toward members of the LDS church. From vituperative comments in all forms of media, to protests in front of temples and churches, to multiple cases of vandalism, the anger and hate seems to be getting worse. Now there has been a complaint to an organization in California, The California Fair Political Practices Commision, that is going to investigate whether or not the Church properly reported all donations toward their support of Proposition 8. I am really getting tired of these people (but that doesn't mean I am going to vandalize their property!).

But I just read about something that was like a breath of fresh air. An organization called Abovethehate.com is circulating a letter/petition to President Monson in support of the LDS church and it's contribution to protecting traditional marriage in California. The full text can be found at http://abovethehate.com/, and the petition can be signed there. I also include it here, because it was so nice to read something positive and supporting about the church. Here it is.

November 15, 2008

President Thomas S. Monson
Office of the First Presidency
Church Administration Building
47 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150

Dear President Monson:

We write firstly to express our deep gratitude to you and the entire LDS community for the large and impressive contributions of your church and its members in protecting marriage in California and Arizona.
Anyone who participated in this process has come to admire the competence, diligence and moral courage that so many members of your faith community displayed as part of this coalition effort—as Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons, and people of other faith communities all came together to fight this great battle for marriage.
But we write for an even more important purpose: to express our outrage at the vile and indecent attacks directed specifically and uniquely at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members because of your courage in standing up for marriage.
It is deeply unfair, and contrary to the best American traditions, that any faith community, much less a minority one, should be singled out and attacked in this way by powerful, well-funded political forces determined to “make them pay” for participating in the normal political processes of democracy.

These attacks include:
Large organized protests designed to disrupt places of worship; [1]
Public calls to investigate and “dig up dirt” on Americans of a particular faith who donated to a political cause; [2]
An outrageous television ad campaign crudely and deliberately designed to incite fear and hatred of a minority religious community. [3]

None of these things should happen in America, but they are happening right now to the LDS faith community. We urge more and other responsible voices to say “enough.” These attacks are shameful. This is not the way Americans behave towards each other.

The coalition for marriage in California and across the country includes people of different theological views. But let us here make one thing absolutely clear:
We, the undersigned, utterly condemn and reject the ongoing unprecedented efforts to incite religious hatred and bigotry towards members of the LDS Church because, as American citizens, you have courageously exercised your core civil rights to speak, to vote, and to donate to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
We pledge to work with you and for you not only to protect marriage, but to protect the rights of all religious citizens, including the LDS Church, to participate freely (without threats of retribution or retaliation) in the political processes of this country in defense of the Judeo-Christian values—and the common good—we hold so dear.
Sincerely,

How nice it is for those outside of our faith to stand with us to support those values upon which our country is based. As this letter points out, there is much that can be said about our rights as Americans to participate in the political process, to vote, and so on. These violent activists are attacking our right to do so at the same time they are defending it for themselves. It is unfortunate that they are so short-sighted and egocentric.

Well, enough for now. Hopefully the courts will leave Prop 8 alone, and these protests will calm down

Erin and Jacob

Erin after having her hair cut!

Bag of Erin's hair..some child is going to have a wonderful hairpiece!

Jacob after his mom shaved his head...

A number of months ago my wife's brother Jeff was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a blood disorder akin to leukemia, though more treatable than leukemia. The treatment for this disease is chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant, with the donor generally found among the siblings of the person.

So last week, the process began. Jeff went to the Huntsman Cancer Institute to begin his chemotherapy. Before he left, he decided to shave his head, since he would lose his hair anyway due to the chemotherapy. The next day, his dad, several of his brothers and brothers-in-law, and nephews, decided to shave their heads as a show of support. Two of my children wanted to participate, so Jacob shaved his head, and Erin, who had long, beautiful curly hair down to the middle of her back, cut if off and sent it to Locks of Love, an organization that creates hairpieces for children that have lost theirs due to a medical condition. I am very proud of them for supporting their uncle. It is a big sacrifice to make such a big change, and risk teasing from their peers, in order to support someone in need. I will post pictures of them later today.

President-elect Obama

Well, the elections are over, and Barack Obama won. I did not vote for Obama. Besides the fact that I am a republican and he is a democrat, I am nervous about several of his economic and political ideas, which I won't talk about at this time. However, through an experience that I had the other day, I can absolutely see why people DID vote for Obama.

I was doing the carpool thing the other morning, taking my son Joshua and his friends to school, and had the radio tuned to CNN Headline news on the XM band. I believe it was the Wednesday morning after the election, and they were replaying an Obama speech from the previous night. As I listened to him talk about America and it's values, and the american people and their struggles, I suddenly realized that I was all choked up and near to tears. That man can deliver a speech! He tapped into my patriotic emotions and my fears for the future in a way that was both eloquent and powerful. I found myself wanting to believe him. I can only imagine how people felt who's lives are much more difficult than mine, and who have much less hope for the future. They must have felt an absolute euphoria when hearing him speak. Combine that with most people's desire for change from an unpopular president and his unpopular policies, and there was probably no way that Obama could have lost.

Of course, I understand that many people who voted for him can't think past the end of their noses. One black person who was interviewed after voting said that he voted for Obama because he wouldn't have to work any longer because Obama would finally give the black people what was coming to them. I'm hoping that his was just wishful thinking, rather than a harbinger of things to come. Still, I wish the new president-elect well. He is still the president of my country, like it or not. I hope that he is a man of integrity, and I pray that he will follow principles of integrity and honesty as he leads us for the next four years.