We're in the paper! The Aggie posted this article today: Prop 8 supporters face sign theft, vandalism

Prop 8 supporters face sign theft, vandalism

Freedom of speech is at stake, supporters say

Written by AARON BRUNER

Published October 29, 2008

In a community that values free speech and open debate, recent political sign thefts have outraged some community members.

The controversy over Proposition 8, which would amend the California Constitution to allow marriage between only a man and a woman, has spilled over into petty theft and vandalism of lawn signs.

Yes on 8 supporters say they've been hit especially hard in Davis, where a large number of signs have been defaced or stolen.

Davis resident Jo Lynn Meirovitz had Yes on 8 signs stolen from her front yard last week.

"People preach tolerance but they are very intolerant of other people," Meirovitz said. "They see us protecting marriage as full of hate, bigots … and are appalled that we would want to help Prop 8 pass. I'm sure the more signs they see the more frustrated they get."

Having left the house for only an hour and a half and not expecting her signs to be taken during the middle of the day, Meirovitz found two lawn signs missing upon her return, she said.

"We believe in freedom of speech for everybody, not just one side of this proposition," Meirovitz said. "Everybody should be able to voice their opinion."

Davis resident and Cedric Papa is involved in Yes on 8 sign distribution and says voters are calling in daily to report that their signs have been stolen.

Papa, who has had 14 signs taken, estimates that 200 or more may have been taken or vandalized in Davis alone.

"I will follow the law, no matter what happens, so I'd like to get my voice out now," Papa said. "We are just trying to keep our individual rights and keep the government out of our lives."

Papa said one group of people went so far as to pretend to support Prop 8 and took 100 signs and dumped them.

Yolo County Republican Party chair Mark Pruner said it has been common in this and previous elections for political signs to be stolen.

"We spend so much money replacing signs, you almost feel violated," he said.

In addition to sign theft in Davis, there have been several incidences of vandalism and theft in Sacramento, and video of at least two incidences have been posted on YouTube, Pruner said.

"Let's face it, stealing of political signs is something that always happens," he said. "We have to budget for paying for more signs."

There is little legal recourse for people who have had their signs stolen or vandalized, and many don't bother to report the crimes. The Davis and Sacramento Police Departments and the Yolo County Sheriff all say no police reports regarding stolen or damaged signs have been filed in their jurisdictions.

Among other incidents in Davis are keyed cars displaying Yes on 8 bumper stickers, while last week the Yes on 8 table located on the Quad was hit with water balloons by a group of students yelling "you teach hate," according to UC Davis graduate student Casey Meirovitz, who is married to Jo Lynn Meirovitz.

"I think yelling 'you teach hate' and exhibiting hate isn't the coolest thing in the world, especially at a university," he said. "People feel very passionately about Prop 8 and they are letting it get the best of them. Unfortunately they're weakening the stance of their argument by acting hypocritically."

Meirovitz and wife Jo Lynn have since replaced their Yes on 8 signs with a homemade sign made of plywood, attached to a tree in their front yard with a bike lock, a sign that they will not forfeit their right to free speech anytime soon.

Representatives from the No on 8 campaign did not respond to requests for information regarding sign theft or vandalism on their side.

AARON BRUNER can be reached at city@californiaaggie.com.

Rally for 8 at the state capitol

The Radio Clip of Cedric from the Rally

Here is the link to listen to the clip:



http://www.kfbk.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=172730&article=4488711

Police Arrest 3 for Stealing Political Signs

As reported on KFBK at 4:10 this afternoon:
Roseville Police officers arrested three young people on suspicion of stealing political signs from yards throughout Roseville. At 12:32 a.m. Tuesday morning, October 28, a resident of the 200 block of Sierra Boulevard called police to report seeing suspects taking a political sign from his neighbor's yard. The resident provided police with a description of the suspects and their vehicle, a green four-door sedan.

Minutes before the call was dispatched, a Roseville Police officer on routine patrol spotted a sedan parked in the 700 block of Shasta Street. The vehicle had all doors and its trunk opened. As the officer watched, two people walked to the vehicle, put something in the trunk, and drove away. Suspicious, the officer began to follow the vehicle, and then heard the report of the stolen political sign being dispatched. The officer stopped the vehicle and contacted the occupants. A search of the vehicle produced 53 "Yes on 8" signs.

Kacey Elizabeth Flieder, 18, of Sacramento, Brian Joseph Greene, 18, of Roseville, and a 17-year-old girl from Roseville were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, conspiracy, and petty theft. The two 18-year-olds were also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Flieder was booked into the Roseville Police Department Jail and released on a $5,000 bail bond. Green remains in custody in the RPD jail on $5,000 bail. The 17-year-old was cited and released to her parents.

We're working hard to catch the Davis thieves as well.

If your sign was stolen or vandalized report the crime right away at: https://www2.ci.davis.ca.us/police/crimereporting/

Powerful Rally- 1 week to go!

Rally at the Capital October 28, 2008

From a scholar and physician who grew up in Davis.

Why I Support Proposition 8

Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court discovered a “right” to gay marriage in the state constitution that its founders never intended or imagined. Proposition 8, which appears on the November ballot, seeks to reverse the court’s decision by specifying in the state constitution that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” Opponents of Proposition 8, under the appealing slogan “equality for all,” characterize the measure as an attempt to limit the rights of gays, rather than what it really is--a stand on principle to defend and preserve an institution vital to society.
Traditional marriage, once the hallmark of society, has already undergone serious decline as too many of us have allowed other interests to take precedence over our family responsibilities. We have divorced too much. We have made our sexual unions more important than our family obligations. We have become cavalier about bearing children out of wedlock. We have too often left the rearing of our children to others. The consequences, both for children and for society, have been disastrous.
The legalization of same-sex marriage deals another crucial blow to marriage as an institution, the consequences of which will certainly be more profound than most Californians realize. What are the harms? This is hard to predict, but the following results seem certain to occur:
1. The indoctrination of our kids. This is already happening to a degree, but now has gained a new and important legal basis. The legalization of same-sex marriage will require the school curriculum to become “gender neutral” where marriage is concerned, placing the schools increasingly in conflict with parents trying to maintain the traditional family ideal. Claims that legalized gay marriage will have little effect on the school curriculum are either naive or deceptive. As well-publicized incidents in both California and Massachusetts illustrate, it already has.
2. The limiting of our freedoms. The establishment of a “right” to gay marriage brings the legal powers of government in conflict with truly constitutional freedoms, such as freedom of religion and freedom of speech. This has already begun to occur--on the basis of this new-found “right” physicians, church adoption agencies, and even wedding photographers have already found themselves in legal jeopardy for declining to perform services, readily available elsewhere in the community, which run contrary to their religious or personal beliefs. Employees in public workplaces must be increasingly cautious in expressing their views for fear of being accused of “hate speech.”
This is only the beginning. The legal forces are already poised, and if Proposition 8 fails, we can expect a flood of litigation challenging virtually every institution, religious or otherwise, which chooses on moral grounds not to adopt this radical new definition of what constitutes a marriage and family. The results are yet to be seen, but in California courts, it seems clear that in the rush to uphold a trendy new “right” to gay marriage, freedom of speech and freedom of religion are not likely to fare well in the courts. The powers of government will increasingly be brought to bear on what we as citizens may openly believe, do, or say.
3. Most importantly, the traditional family itself is dealt a crippling blow, by altering the very institution on which it is based. Once a “right” to same-sex marriage is established, equality requires the law to treat heterosexual couples and homosexual ones the same, despite the obvious biological differences. In effect, our effort to extend marriage to gays will ultimately reduce the legal institution of marriage itself to no more than a domestic partnership. This change will profoundly affect the rising generation’s perception of what a marriage and family are, and the traditional family will continue to lose ground.
The fact is that our collective experience and social research have consistently shown that children reared in traditional families as a whole fare better, contribute more, and fail less, than those who are not. Indeed, the traditional family, once the hallmark of society, still seems its only real hope. Amid a flood of social decay, young couples can still turn to the traditional institution of marriage as a foundation for their adult lives, with the confidence that if they adhere to its expectations, they will reap its benefits. This institution is now in jeopardy.
Legalized same-sex marriage does not just provide an alternative to the traditional family, it strikes at the heart of the institution upon which the traditional family is based. Indeed, for all our rhetoric about gay rights, it is not the gay lifestyle that is endangered in our society, but the traditional family itself.
Proposition 8 has never been about bigotry versus equal rights for gays--such rights, in California especially, have and will continue to be abundantly protected with or without the passage of Prop. 8. Instead, it is a measure to restore and defend our most vital public institution, the American family.
I urge a “yes” vote on Proposition 8.

Author:
John Bringhurst
Profession: Physician.
Residence: Woodland, CA.

The interracial marriage comparison?

When the desires of adults clash with what's best for childhood development- which will we choose on Nov. 4th?

Meaningful Relationship: YES. But if every relationship out there can suddenly be called a marriage- then MARRIAGE loses it's significance.

A civil right? No. Marriage is a sacred privilege to those who conform to what society deems is best for children: A FULLY COMMITTED MOTHER AND FATHER

privilege

The opposition claims it won't affect schools but indoctrinating our young without our consent is one of their key objectives (NCLR website)

Not going to be taught in scholls, huh?

“Coming Out Day”
Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools
City: Hayward, CA
October 22, 2008
Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward were shocked to learn this week the
extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in
kindergarten.
The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that “Coming Out Day”
will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school,
Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time,
but it is in the midst of celebrating “Ally Week,” a pro-homosexual push typically
aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this
week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied,
“We're learning to be allies.” The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten
classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight
Alliance club.
Later this week, the school is slated to talk about families. The parents have
noticed several posters promoting families, all of which depict only homosexual
families. More controversial discussions can be expected through next week, as the
elementary school continues to celebrate Gay and Lesbian History Month. On
November 20, the school will host TransAction Gender-Bender Read-Aloud, where
students will hear adapted tales such as “Jane and the Beanstalk.”
These parents are being advised by attorneys from Pacific Justice Institute. Brad
Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, “Do we need any further
proof that gay activists will target children as early as possible? Opponents of traditional marriage keep telling us that Prop. 8 has nothing to do with education. In reality, they want to push the gay lifestyle on kindergartners, and we can only
imagine how much worse it will be if Prop. 8 is defeated. This is not a scenario
most Californians want replayed in their elementary schools.”

This is Just the Beginning. We Must Stop It!

When they strike at our freedom of speech they ILLUSTRATE who doesn't believe in TOLERANCE.

Interview with those who have already felt the effects.

Take Courage

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: We are not alone, sign wavers can be seen in almost every city in CA

FYI

Sacramento – The Campaign Manager of the ProtectMarriage.com – Yes on 8 campaign today urged its supporters to ignore efforts circulating on the Internet encouraging parents and students to boycott class for a day to protest the California Teachers Association contribution of $1 million to the campaign opposing Proposition 8.

“We have no idea where this idea to boycott class attendance for a day came from,” said Frank Schubert, Campaign Manager of the Yes on 8 campaign, “but we disavow it and urge our supporters to ignore it. Students belong in class. Taking a child out of class as a political protest is wrong and detrimental to the child. While we understand the anger that some parents may feel toward the teacher’s union for donating to our opponents, the best way to counteract that donation is to urge people to vote yes on Proposition 8. We call on the millions of supporters of traditional marriage to ignore attempts to organize a student “sick in” and instead focus their attention on passing Proposition 8.”

Recalling Undecided Voters