Blog by Sumana Harihareswara, Changeset founder
Election Day
Hi, reader. I wrote this in 2008 and it's now more than five years old. So it may be very out of date; the world, and I, have changed a lot since I wrote it! I'm keeping this up for historical archive purposes, but the me of today may 100% disagree with what I said then. I rarely edit posts after publishing them, but if I do, I usually leave a note in italics to mark the edit and the reason. If this post is particularly offensive or breaches someone's privacy, please contact me.
I just pulled the lever for Obama, literally [photos]. Leonard suggested we get up by 6 so we could avoid the lines, but we ended up in line for about half an hour. Still a good idea.
Sumana: Don't forget to bring money for the poll tax.
Leonard: Yeah, let me make sure I can read.
I feel obligated to repost this regarding California's Proposition 8: Post this on your blog if you're in an opposite-sex marriage and you don't want it to be "protected" by the bigots who think that gay marriage cheapens or hurts it somehow.
Yes, I have been for same-sex marriage for some time and still am.
I say to those opponents of same-sex marriage: If you care about the stability and happiness of the American family, then work to subsidize daycare, lengthen paternal and maternal leave and move us to single-payer healthcare. If you care about the sanctity of marriage, then work to institute a federal waiting period and separate the civil contract of marriage from your religion's requirements and ceremonies. Widows, grandparents, uncles, nannies, foster children, step-parents and same-sex partners all contribute to and sustain households everywhere.How decadent, how arrogant, how unloving, how wasteful we are to act as though we have enough loving partnerships and families! As though we can afford to spurn aspirants. How long should they wait?
My in-laws might especially be interested in Mormons for Marriage and a pro-life Mormon for Obama.
In a circumstance beating our previous record of three, we have been invited to four different parties on the same night celebrating the same event, not to mention the Making Light virtual party.
Now, to try to work.
Comments
Susie
04 Nov 2008, 9:54 a.m.
Julia
http://www.m14m.net/julia
04 Nov 2008, 10:27 a.m.
We voted at 8:30 and had no line, but the polling station was still hopping with a steady stream of voters going in and out. I called my mother and made sure she voted, too. She had been trying to decide whether to do it at 7 when the polling place opened, or wait until after work. I advised her to do it NOW NOW NOW, and made sure she was voting no on 8. She said that she was, but that my aunt gave her an impassioned argument about marriage being only for a man and a woman, and about how same sex couples should have to call it a partnership even if they had the same benefits. Grah! At least their votes cancel each other out, I guess.
John
04 Nov 2008, 12:20 p.m.
Sumana:
I am a Mormon for marriage but dislike the feel of that website. I can't explain it.
I read Russell Arben Fox on Times and Seasons quite frequently. My whole stance is that a vote solely for abortion is wrong. The Republicans, from 200-2006, owned the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. And they did nothing to overturn Roe. So voting for a Republican simply because you are pro-life seems like a silly thing. I would imagine that most people are against abortion. But most people also understand that it can be necessary at times, and the freedom to choose is worth preserving. Or maybe it's just me that feels that way.
I voted! But alas, no lever-pulling. Just a boring touch screen.
Rachel
05 Nov 2008, 18:13 p.m.
great article, sumana. it's always worth a re-read. I'm heart-broken over 8, can't understand it at all.
Sumana Harihareswara
http://brainwane.net
09 Nov 2008, 15:01 p.m.
67.176.245.58 posted an inflammatory comment on late-term abortions. I welcome political discussion in my comments but you have to post under your name. And just so you know, I could post replies just as graphic about the torture and murder of innocents in Iraq and in extraordinary renditions, torture that the Republican party supports.
John
10 Nov 2008, 11:59 a.m.
Sumana:
Susie got the same one and deleted it as well. I told her the same thing as well. That is, you can post whatever you want, but you have to own your words with your name. It's way too easy to be malicious when you are anonymous on the internet.
We're discovering more Mormons for Obama around every corner. Every corner on our block at least.