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YO!
YO! is a collection of short pieces by the writers at Youth Outlook!
[ filed under: conflict california ] California seems to be suffering from an identity crisis. Or at the very least, it’s going through a mid-life crisis of some sort. First, we have the dipping deficit that is dragging on in Capital Hill. Then we have former Miss California’s YouTube famous statement and the Supreme Court’s decision on Prop 8. I was always under the impression that California was a unique part of the United States, mainly for its diversity and so called tolerance. I realize that because I live in San Francisco I see a majority of the world through liberal sunglasses, so what I witness happening outside of my normal environment is a little jarring every now and then. Which is why I was shocked when California voters passed Prop 8 making same-sex marriage illegal, and then recently when the California Supreme Court upheld Prop 8. Then, to make put the final nail in California’s coffin was Miss California, Carrie Prejean’s comments at the Miss USA pageant that denounced same-sex marriage. I really felt like I had fallen into a temporal vortex and got shipped to a parallel universe courtesy of FedEx. I find it worrisome that the next generation of youth people in California will be living in a state that is essentially becoming a State of Hate. Inequality runs deep in our nation: gender, race, you name it there’s a debate about it somewhere in this country. I personally believe everyone has the right to be treated equally under the constitution, no matter his or her gender, age, religion, race or sexuality. It all should be fair game. I’ve always considered hate speech to be a concept that can be expressed in a variety of ways. Which is why I thought former Miss California’s comment on gay marriage was in a category of hate speech. So, when I heard Donald Trump was not going to take away her crown when this first hit the news, I was really shocked. If someone had gone up there and denounced marriage between a man and woman and thrown a burning a bible into the audience I’m sure they would have ripped the sash off her before Trump could adjust his toupee. I find it ridiculous that Prejean’s crown was taken way only because she was not fulfilling her Miss California duties, not because of her statement. We can argue free speech till we’re blue in the face. But bare in mind, if there had been someone preaching the exact opposite of Prejean’s statements during the Miss USA pageant – chances are the exact opposite would have happened. It seems to me, the Miss USA pageant organization cares more about their contestants’ image than the actual words that come out of their mouth. They should really just eliminate the Q&A portion of those events all together and ask the girls their bra size and where they buy their underwear and just get to the core of what beauty pageants are really about. comments |
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“I find it ridiculous that Prejean’s crown was taken way only because she was not fulfilling her Miss California duties, not because of her statement.”
Our president has made the same statement. Should he be removed from office for having that opinion?
By James · Posted on Jun 11, 09:35 PM“We can argue free speech till we’re blue in the face.”
There is no free speech in California. Under California hate speech law, SB1234, did her comments make you feel “unwelcome” or “intimidated.” If yes then she could be face six month in prison and a $25,000 fine. This only applies if you happen to be a homosexual, transsexual, women, homeless or one of the assorted minority groups. But you are free to bash her in any way (Ah no you can’t she a woman and if what you said make her feel unwelcome etc then you could be facing six month in jail or $25,000 fine). That’s what you could be looking at right now for posting this blog.
Of course this is no protection for men, unless they are homeless or a minority, in fact just talking about prop 8 could land you in jail.
When Carrie Prejean answer the question about marriage she was giving her honest opinion, nothing more nothing less. I wonder many of the USA pageant contestants were asked about marriage?
“If someone had gone up there and denounced marriage between a man and woman and thrown a burning a bible…”
And she would have been the hero of the press. They would have went on and on about how refreshing it was to have someone give their honest opinion, how unfair it was that she lost her crown. She would have been on just about every talk show, every major news cast, she would be invited to speak at just about every university, etc.
I want you to think about something if Prop 8 had failed, your side right now would be saying “The people have spoken, get over it.” or words to that effect. Well the people in California have spoken not once but twice, and the PEOPLE of California have defined marriage as union between two people one male one female.
Had the GLBT taken just a little bit of time, just a two or three years there would have been GLBT marriage in California, but people don’t like things push on them. Remember Mayor Gavin Newsom said “This door’s wide open now. It’s going to happen, whether you like it or not.” When he made that statement people took a stand and said this far and no farther.
Will California have GLBT marriages, yes, but it’s going to take a long time and a lot of money. People who want change want it NOW, but they forget activists including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott had a seventy year struggle to secure the right of women to vote. Seventy years to do something you take for granted, it was almost a 100 years before all blacks got the right to vote, and you want people to change overnight, it’s not going to happen.
But really the question is what is the purpose of marriage, is it an agreement between two people of take care of each other, or is it the state’s way of making new citizens? Once you answer that then the definition of marriage will be clear.
By Richard · Posted on Jun 12, 08:22 AMFree speech does not exist in the US and it never did. If you ever believed so, you are terribly mistaken. We also have never been free to do whatever we want. Those two basic concepts have been sold to the world and held up as basic freedoms to which everyone is entitled in our country but that has always been a lie and a big part of the propaganda machine. Amazing that people are just now noticing. Miss CA was not free to say what she wanted and apparently you feel that the people were not free to vote against prop 8. I do not equate gay rights with civil rights as they are trying to sell it. Furthermore, if the gay rights activists had bothered to spend some time in minority neighborhoods who are always very conservative in their religious beliefs, they may have had a better outcome. But, for those who are the leaders of this fight, gay rights is extended to white gay people…they do not really care if minority gay people participate. So it’s time for them to step up to the plate and stop their own discrimination.
By shukura · Posted on Jun 27, 12:02 PM