To Maine...from California.

I am truly sorry for what transpired at your ballot box yesterday. As a Californian, I feel your pain, and I know what you are going through right now.

First of all, to let you know, the next few weeks are going to be very tough on you, and I know what the residents of Maine, who are members of this online community, are about to go through. There's going to be a rough stretch on these boards for a while. You are going to have to endure an endless supply of upcoming threads about boycotting Maine businesses, topics about what a bunch of idiots live in your fine state, blowhards who will tell you exactly how their state would never let that happen had they the chance, and a stream of oh-so-pleasing hit and run style "what the hell is wrong with all of you over there" posts and OP's. You WILL get through it, and you will come out on the other end stronger as a group.

And yes...it is blindingly obvious by now, that you don't put civil right issues up to a popular vote. It's academic, and a complete waste of time and energy even arguing about it, because in the end, you will be exactly in the same position you are right now, just more tired and pissed off. Hell, we already went down that road here on the left coast.

When I saw the proposition on on the ballot in Maine a few months ago, I was optimistic, but I also had a deep sense of dread. Not because I thought something like this was bound to happen, but because I really, really, wanted you all to overwhelmingly strike this down and send a message of "No more. The hatred stops here." Unfortunately, hatred and bigotry is sometimes unstoppable. It had absolutely nothing to do with you.

We know what you went through before last night. We know what it is to man the phones, to knock on the doors, and to pass out the flyers and bumper stickers. We know what it is like to endure the abuse and vitriol of a group of abusive assholes that hate you for doing all of that, and for daring to speak up for your rights, when they just wish you would get back in the closet. The sad fact is, that there are more ignorant individuals, that have a sick need inside of them to take out the frustrations and shortcomings of their own sad lives, on who they perceive as "those people," than most people could ever imagine, if they had not gone through it themselves.

After prop H8 out here, I will never underestimate the power of bigots in large numbers that show up to only vote for a single issue, even if the issue that they are voting on has NOTHING at all to do with their lives, or affects them in any way. That's what happened in Maine. It was not you, and NEVER let anyone here or anywhere else tell you that is was.

The only thing that I can say, is start with the drives to get this in front of your State Supreme Court NOW, and get the petitions going to get it overturned on your next ballot on some form immediately, because when it gets slapped down by your SC like our attempt did, your going to need to be organized and ready to immediately jump to step 2. We started the day after the special election last year, and are now poised to put another amendment to overturn prop-8 as we speak, for the 2010's, so get the ball rolling on this now.

My deepest condolences for what they are worth.

should never be put to vote like this.

:hug: to all the gay people out there who have been so hurt by this. Hang in there. We'll try again.

:hug:

...I did canvassing and phone-banking. This issue meant a lot to me. I won't give up. Here's the silver lining: the final vote tally from the Orono campus of UMaine is 81% in support of marriage equality, and 19% in the Dark Ages. My hope is vested in the young. My wife and I were by far the oldest people working as volunteers; it was truly inspiring to see the youngsters so dedicated. The volunteer next to me when I did the phone-banking was an articulate and well-mannered NINE YEAR OLD BOY! He made over two hundred phone calls. When he heard my sigh after my 50th non-answer on the phone, he said, "Don't be discouraged!" I almost wept.

Don't give up hope!!

I am so sorry that my generation (over 65) is so gullible. My cousin sends me emails that I am sure are written by Repub liars. She has benefitted from Dem programs like Medicare herself and nursing home care for her mother, but she believes all those lies the Repubs send out.

line for programs created by the Ds and then believed all of the R lies and voted for the Rs. I was disgusted with them all. You are so correct about our generation being so damn gullible, I just can't believe the lies they believe in and how they vote. Give them some hot issue, some R lies and thump the bible a bit and they will vote for and believe in Rs no matter what crap is being dealt out. Often I am so very very very embarrassed to be a member of our generation.

The rights of any minority should not be left up to the majority to decide.

Our elected officials in Augusta voted FOR marriage equality. Our governor signed it into law. Now it will have to be the judiciary that upholds that law.

I really don't trust these elections. I don't think the majority of Californians or Mainers (is that what you are called?) would have voted this into law. When are we going to run elections with the checks and balances accountants run their clients with? We really need election reform from the bottom up. Right know there is no way to know for sure that the election results are valid.