Protect

Yes to Proposition 8 – No to Same-Sex Marriage Instruction

October 21, 2008 by rickety 6 Comments

Why Support Proposition 8?

Support Proposition 8 so as to prevent this kind of situation:

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a first grade class took a school-sponsored trip to a gay wedding. The eighteen first graders, ages 5 and 6, left their studies for the same-sex wedding officiated by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Not only will schoolchildren be taught about same-sex marriage if Proposition 8 fails, it’s already happening.

Gay Marriage Instruction

Opponents of Proposition 8 are spending millions of dollars on television commercials telling voters that gay marriage will not be taught in public schools. Yet a review of public records filed with the First District Court of Appeal in Boston shows these same organizations fought to make it so in Massachusetts. Specifically, they fought to ensure that gay marriage be taught in Massachusetts public schools. Further, their assurance that parents can always “opt-out” of such instruction when it is taught is belied by the fact that in Massachusetts, they argued successfully that Massachusetts’ parental opt-out provision should not be permitted. In Massachusetts second graders were taught in class about gay marriage using the book, “King and King.” This book is about a prince who married another prince, and includes an illustrated scene of the two men kissing.

Parker v. Hurley

In Parker v. Hurley, 474 F. Supp. 2d 261 (D. Mass. 2007), a federal district court in Massachusetts held against parents who objected to a pro-homosexual curriculum. The following are statements filed in amicus curiae briefs in Parker v. Hurley. The statements show how organizations leading the No on 8 campaign are misleading California voters when they say gay marriage will not be taught in California public schools.

From the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Amicus Curiae Brief:

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where the right of same-sex couples to marry is protected under the state constitution, it is particularly important to teach children about families with gay parents. [p 5]

From the Human Rights Campaign Amicus Curiae Brief:

There is no constitutional principle grounded in either the First Amendment’s free exercise clause or the right to direct the upbringing of one’s children, which requires defendants to either remove the books now in issue — or to treat them as suspect by imposing an opt-out system. [pp 1-2]

From the ACLU Amicus Curiae Brief:

Specifically, the parents in this case do not have a constitutional right to override the professional pedagogical judgment of the school with respect to the inclusion within the curriculum of the age-appropriate children’s book … King and King. [p 9]

This is the truth about the calculated efforts to deliver gay marriage into California public school classrooms, against the wishes of the people of that state. Voters may differ about how they feel about gay marriage, but there is no disputing that the organizations funding and leading the No on Proposition 8 campaign have already revealed, in their own words, their desire to impose this subject on children in the public schools — “whether you like it or not.”

Source: Protect Marriage campaign update emails. See also Preserving Marriage website.

Protect Marriage Status

September 19, 2008 by rickety Leave a Comment

Poll Understates Support for Proposition 8

The California Field Poll published in newspapers yesterday significantly understates support for Proposition 8, according to ProtectMarriage.com Campaign Manager Frank Schubert. Schubert’s comments are based on a historic review of Field Poll data and a new study that compared polling to actual results in more than two dozen states, including California, where the marriage issue has appeared on the ballot.

ProtectMarriage.com’s study, released yesterday, shows that pollsters have under-estimated support for marriage measures by an average of seven percentage points in the 26 states studied. In some cases, polls have vastly under-stated support for traditional marriage by as much as 21 percentage points.

The state-by-state study looked at the same-sex marriage issue in 26 states where it has appeared on the ballot, dating back to the first campaign of its kind in Hawaii in 1998. Surveys published by news media outlets prior to an election under-estimated support for traditional marriage by an average of seven points. In only two states (Texas and South Carolina) did pre-election surveys accurately measure voter support for traditional marriage, and in both of those states support stood at 76%. Support for traditional marriage was under-estimated in 23 of the 26 states studied, ranging from a low of 3% in Kentucky and Oregon, to as high as 21% in North Dakota.

In 2000, the Field Poll itself underestimated support for Proposition 22 by at least eight percentage points. That initiative ended up winning with overwhelming voter support — capturing over 61% of the vote. Frank Schubert, who has twice been named the nation’s most valuable consultant by the American Association of Political Consultants, said:

Recent polls published by California media outlets claim that Proposition 8, restoring marriage in California as between a man and a woman, is trailing among voters. These polls, including the Field Poll released this week, suffer from the same historic problem that other polls on this subject around the country have had: they do not accurately reflect the true support for traditional marriage.
I can’t say for sure why polls almost always understate support for traditional marriage, but I believe it is because the media portrays same-sex marriage as being politically correct. Supporters of traditional marriage don’t want pollsters to consider them intolerant, so they mask their true feelings on the issue. The result is that support for traditional marriage rises considerably when voters cast their ballots in the privacy of the voter booth. It is my opinion that the same thing will happen in California when voters cast ballots on Proposition 8.

Earlier surveys from the L.A. Times poll and Survey USA poll have showed Proposition 8/ProtectMarriage.com with a slight lead, at 54% support.

Schubert said:

Our own internal surveys show that we are in a dead-heat on Proposition 8. The campaign manager for the No on 8 campaign has been quoted recently as saying the same thing. This race is very much up for grabs. It’s up to our campaign to convince voters of all the many reasons to restore marriage as between a man and a woman. I remain confident that we will do so.

Source: ProtectMarriage.com email.

Protect Marriage Update

September 12, 2008 by rickety Leave a Comment

Know the Facts

Voicing your support for Proposition 8 can sometimes be a bit intimidating, particularly when you don’t know all the facts. We’re sure you will be surprised to learn that many of your friends and neighbors share your support! Proposition 8 is about preserving marriage; it’s not an attack on the gay lifestyle. Proposition 8 doesn’t take away any rights or benefits from gays or lesbians in domestic partnerships. Under California law, “domestic partners shall have the same rights, protections and benefits” as married spouses. (Family Code §297.5.) There are no exceptions. Proposition 8 will not change this.

Townhall Meetings

The Proposition 8 Campaign has been busy hosting a series of townhall meetings throughout the state, providing a local forum for communities to discuss the importance of preserving traditional marriage as between one man and one woman. To date, there have been four townhall meetings in Fresno, Sonoma, San Joaquin and Napa Counties. Each event has been tremendously successful, energizing the community and arming attendees with information on how to get more involved to ensure Proposition 8 passes.

Drawing from between 200-600 attendees, the Protect Marriage Townhall Meetings have created an opportunity for voters to learn about Proposition 8 from leaders in their own community. In each host county, the Campaign has identified representatives from each of the major faith denominations, who then speak about why voting YES on Proposition 8 is such a crucial issue, from their faith’s perspective.

Upcoming townhall meetings include Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino. For more information on a townhall meeting in your area, please contact info@protectmarriage.com.

Volunteers Needed

With November just around the corner and a likely close vote on Proposition 8 expected, volunteers can make the difference in this election. Proposition 8 is our last chance to protect the institution of marriage, to keep it from being radically redefined for all of society. You can help us tip the scales by volunteering on behalf of the Campaign.

This effort takes committed individuals working hard at the grassroots level. There are many different ways that you can help. Here’s just a sample:

Walk precincts
Phone voters
Distribute literature to your friends and neighbors
Donate
Show your support through a yard sign or bumper sticker
Recruit 10 new volunteers
Write a letter to the editor

ACLU Donation

We know that everyday our opponents are busy raising millions of dollars that will be used to mislead our voters. Just recently, we heard of the ACLU’s $1.2 million donation to defeat Proposition 8 — the largest single donation to our opponents in this campaign.

Source: ProtectMarriage.com email.

Protect Marriage Campaign

September 4, 2008 by rickety 3 Comments

Volunteers to Visit More Households

50,000 Proposition 8 volunteers have already reached more than one million households up and down the state. These incredible results were accomplished by volunteers who devoted just a few hours of their time during two consecutive weekends. We need to increase this great effort if we want to ensure that Proposition 8 passes come November. If we each do our part, we can protect and restore marriage to the traditional definition that existed before 4 liberal judges working in San Francisco changed it.

Campaign Urges Supporters to Donate

We are up against a well-funded effort to redefine marriage for our children, our families and all of society. Our opponents have already reserved millions of dollars of television advertising, and no doubt have ads ready to confuse and obscure the issues at stake. We need to reserve our own TV and radio time to counter these efforts. With just 60 days left until the November election, the Proposition 8 Campaign is requesting supporters to donate.

iProtectMarriage.com Targets the Youth Vote

In conjunction with the Pastors’ Rapid Response Network, we recently launched a Web site targeting the youth vote in California. At the iProtectMarriage.com Web site, young people in California can learn about the important issues involved in Proposition 8, and can sign up to help.

iProtectMarriage.com targets teenagers and young adults both from secular and faith backgrounds. Miles McPherson, one of Proposition 8’s key supporters and senior pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego, says the site aims to reach out to all young voters, especially those who support same-sex marriage for the wrong reasons. McPherson, a former NFL player with the San Diego Chargers, said:

Right now they’re driven by the wrong information and a lot of emotion. They’ll say, “I don’t want to be called a bigot. I don’t want to discriminate.”

Making it clear that the Proposition 8 campaign is not “anti-gay” but pro-marriage, the site challenges its users with information in key areas: civil rights, kids, churches, education, public health, faith and society, showing that Proposition 8 is about much more than marriage alone. It shows young people how they can to take action for Proposition 8.