Equality for all?

Image by Bob Warnick.

We've recently witnessed the brazen theft of "Yes on 8" signs in California. This petty behavior has prompted me to write. It strikes at the very heart of free speech in this country, where opponents are attempting to silence supporters of Proposition 8.

I've written previously about the issue of projection—where an accuser sees in others the faults they possess themselves—and how it applies to the battle for voters in California over Proposition 8. Many opponents of Proposition 8 shriek that the issue at hand has something to do with hatred. Perhaps in their view it does, since it appears that hatred consumes some significant portion of their lives. Specifically, opponents' anger and hatred have clearly manifested themselves in the theft and destruction of "Yes" signs (which I have personally witnessed), verbal assaults, and even physical attacks on voters, such as the October 13 story of Jose Nunez in Modesto. They accuse others of hatred and anger yet spare no effort to use it at every opportunity themselves, further making my case that opponents are projecting their anger unjustly onto others where it does not in reality exist. This should greatly disturb any rational citizen.

If the opposition is so willing and ready to deny others equality of speech, then there is good reason to suppose that other freedoms—religion, for example—are next.

Any cause which leads its supporters to commit theft and violence should be strongly and uniformly denounced by any decent human being. The pretense of "equality for all" being pitched by the opposition is clearly self-serving and one-sided, and by extension, it makes opponents of Proposition 8 bald-faced liars. I invite opponents of Proposition 8 to prove me wrong by issuing an unqualified statement denouncing the brazen theft, destruction, and violence seen thus far. If you sincerely believe Proposition 8 supporters are angry and hateful, then take the high road and show us your good example. For my part, if any supporter of Proposition 8 were engaged in similar activities, they should be treated as criminals. Supporters have no reason to trade away basic values such as honesty, tolerance, and respect for freedom of speech.

The unfortunately reality is that some of the most vocal opponents of Proposition 8 are guilty of the anger and hatred they see in others. They cannot tolerate the freedom of speech—perhaps the most basic form of equality for all—by those who support Proposition 8; their tolerance is one-sided and therefore false. There is no other way to explain their exceptionally poor behavior, and relying simply on how they "feel" is no excuse for their actions.