Monday, August 24, 2009

Bucks for Love and Equality


Appealing shamelessly to the worst in Americans, the bad guys are pouring money and bodies into sparse Maine. This is the time for those who believe in civil rights and in equality to break out the checkbook or plastic.

This is vitally important.

The anti-gay, anti-same-sex marriage professionals and hangers on are vicious but not necessarily stupid. Following the overturn of SSM in California, they acknowledge that Maine's legislated marriage equality has great symbolic value. By bringing in their Hessians and carpetbaggers, funded with out-of-state and out-of-region corporate lobbying, they gamble they can turn back equal rights there in the pending people's veto.

Maine's voters are decidedly toys of the National Organization for Marriage, the various misnamed marriage family groups (which want to limit marriages and families through discrimination), and professional lobbyists. The state has only a little over a million people and apparently NOM figures it can cheaply buy the votes of the confused and dull-witted with disinformation in advertising.

Maybe they can. They have a pretty good chance if we don't all chip in a little now and again in September or October. Sooner is better.

I like to pretend that I can maintain some distance from subjects I cover. I try not to donate to specific local candidates. I have only agreed to put on one lawn sign and fortunately the candidate hasn't delivered anything yet to take me up on it.

Maine is different and it is important. Equality Maine's Vote No on 1 needs volunteers. If you're not close enough or don't have a day or more, do as I do and send some money. They face high tides of anti-gay funding. The least we can do is give them an equal shot at keeping equal rights.

The bad guys clearly hate that a small and largely rural state (as in not Massachusetts) voted equal rights by law to homosexual couples. That's yet more proof that it's not some ultra-liberal trick. They'll do whatever they can to hinder and harm gay couples. We can help send 'em home in defeat.

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