Today, a San Diego business leader against Proposition 8 announced he received a letter from the Proposition 8 Executive Committee requesting funding and revoking his endorsement of the NO on Prop 8 campaign.
“On October 20, 2008, I received a certified-mail letter for the Prop 8 campaign requesting I withdraw my support of Equality California (EQCA) and demanding that I donate the same amount of money that I donated to the NO on Prop 8 campaign,” said Jim Abbott, Managing Partner of Abbott & Associates/Abbott Realty Group of San Diego, Calif. “The Prop 8 letter was very threatening if I chose to continue to fully exercise my right to support the NO on Prop 8 campaign.”
Here's a quote from the letter:
“Were you to elect not to donate comparably, it would be a clear indication that you are in opposition to traditional marriage. You would leave us no other reasonable assumption. The names of any companies…that choose not to donate…to ProtectMarriage.com…will be published.…We will contact you shortly to discuss your contribution.”
The targeted businessman goes on to say,
“This type of outrageous scare tactic from Prop 8 is intolerable. As a business owner, practicing Catholic, and civic leader who has served on the EQCA board for nearly three years, I believe in equality and rights for all...especially for my employees, 25 percent of whom are LGBT,” Abbott said.
Update: I've put together a blog countering some of the pro-Prop8 arguments. It's called, Who voted on your marriage?
11 comments:
This is sad, but not surprising.
Here's the AP story on this -- PROP. 8 backers say they will 'out' rivals.
The article says: "The letter was signed by four members of the group's executive committee: campaign Chairman Ron Prentice; Edward Dolejsi, executive director of the California Catholic Conference; Mark Jansson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and Andrew Pugno, the lawyer for ProtectMarriage.com."
Abbott's son "characterized it as a bit 'Mafioso.'" It also comes pretty close to what sounds like criminal extortion.
This is pretty repulsive stuff for anyone to do -- much less people who call themselves Christian.
The threats aren't working on everyone. Apple has announced its opposition to Prop 8 and has made a large donation towards its defeat.
Here's another one I don't get; I saw a quote in the Advocate from a black community member who opposed gay marriage because "if same sex marriages become legal than marriage doesn't matter."
Whaa...a.a.a.a???
IT
Yeah, I saw the Apple announcement on Safari's default start page page when I fired it up on my Macbook this evening.
Good on them! I think I'll give them more of my money (well, I was anyway - but still ;)
The "yes on 8" camp has me so irritated. As if the lies and threats aren't bad enough, they're continuing to try to "sell" stuff that just doesn't add up in any way at all! And the saddest part of all is that there are people buying this garbage.
I saw a photo in our local paper of a "yes on 8" rally. One sign read, "Prop 8 = Free Speech" and another read "Prop 8 = Parental Rights." I shook my head, I scratched my head. I was thoroughly confused. I asked someone I know who is voting yes on this ridiculous thing what those signs meant and she had no idea. In fact, she realizes how wrong those signs are. I have offered her every piece of information I can. She understands and agrees with almost everything I say and yet, she is still voting yes on this thing. Some of these people confuse me more than words can express.
What is going on here?
Sorry....I jumped up on my soap box for a minute. I was going to blog about this on another blog, but haven't done it yet. It was good to see someone address this.
As best I can tell, many of these "yes on 8" folks are truly ignorant. They are IGNORING the facts. It makes me think of that line, "please don't confuse me with the facts..."
Ok, I'm done...for now...
Don't be done,yet, lost-sheep! WE need you!
IT
Nice blog. Nice article!
Lost Sheep; Your soapbox is what we all need to be on. Every thinking person (forget just the Christians who understand what is going on) needs to be on the soapbox.
I ran into a friend today in the market. She is LDS and saw my "NO" button. We had a nice talk about it and she is voting no -- already made her mind up. But she said the thing that almost made her vote yes, was that churches can be sued if they refuse to marry a same-gender couple. I explained to her how that is just a lie. She was flabergasted. She is a college teacher, by the way. (And she is coming to dinner tomorrow evening.)
While we were talking another LDS friend of hers (acquaintance of mine) came up and hugs all around -- until she saw my button, and then the whole tone changed.
It is really a sin that any church puts their members in such a position - loyalty to the organization or loyalty to conscience.
But she said the thing that almost made her vote yes, was that churches can be sued if they refuse to marry a same-gender couple. I explained to her how that is just a lie. She was flabergasted.
I ran into the SAME THING, James, from a Baptist guy (on my pro-lesbian homeboard). He, too, voted "No" but was uneasy about his church potentially being sued. It took me (w/ the religion doctorate), *AND* a lawyer on the board, to convince him THIS IS A LIE!!!!
Why are smart people so gullible to these 'phobic wingnuts lying propaganda? >:-/
[Second question: why do people belong to religious traditions where discrimination is the policy? But I digress... ;-/]
Come on JCF, your own faith doesn't marry gays, and is about to schism over one unassuming, gentle, gay bishop.
And you're still Episcopalian.
just sayin.
IT
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