Bakersfield.com

Waking up the day after our recent election, I was very proud of our country in many ways and very saddened by California in others.

The fact that we have come so far as a nation that within a little over a hundred years a man who would have, at one point been a slave without rights, will now lead our country into the future is an amazing and awe inspiring thing. I am proud to be a member of a country that could recognize that race no longer matters. I believe that having an African American President will go a long way towards finally eliminating any remaining beliefs that race is still an issue in todays world. I have great hope for our country in the years to come.

The fact that, as a state, the majority has decided that it's okay to remove rights which should be (and were ruled by the Supreme Court of the State) applied to all citizens saddens me greatly. I love and accept that people are heterosexual and choose to marry the person they are committed to even though it is not my path. I truly believed that I would be afforded that same respect in return. I am saddened that I misjudged this state.

The Yes on 8 campaign should not congratulate themselves so quickly because they have opened the door to a very dangerous game. Once a group of people starts to believe that just because the majority believes another group in society is not equal does not make it right. Our history is filled with times when the majority thought that blacks were not equal - that they didn't have the right to marry whites or the right to cast a vote, that women were not equal enough to vote. What is to protect those very same people from one day being on the other side of the majority - perhaps it will be against their religion, or their IQ or some other genetic measuring stick. My point being is that if you start redeciding that basic civil rights do not apply to all citizens of the state or the country then you never know where you will end up, and that is a very scary thought indeed.

I have never been a political person, and in some ways, I feel I am still not as politically concerned about this issue as I am spiritually saddened. The major proponents behind the Yes on 8 side were the religious groups. Every major religion in the world, at it's base teachings, advocates love and tolerance not intolerance and separateness,  and the religious groups who  have supported the removal of civil rights from a group of citizens are not living up to the teachings of their leaders. If, in fact, their religion defines homosexuality as a sin, let that sin be between God and the person. God doesn't need humanities help in defending the rules. God is perfectly capable of handling the housekeeping duties alone.

As a lesbian, it is hard not to take this personally. I am trying to see the bigger picture and realize that I need to feel compassion for the 52 plus percent of the state who are scared and fearful to the point that they feel justified in removing rights from people. I know It is only when we are in fear  that we feel threatened to the point of trying to control things to this extent. I offer my compassion to those who voted yes on proposition 8 and hope that they are able find their way out of the fear that is controlling them and find peace in love which is a much better feeling in which to live life.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly for equality - the gays, the straights and the religious people who knew it wasn't right.  Those who fought for this issue because it is a civil rights issue (not just because of a personal investment int he outcome) will hold a special place in my heart, and to you I extend my heartfelt appreciation.