Pennsylvania Prop 8? I Don't Think So.

I was hoping a 9am class would be the most of my concerns on a Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, I was disturbed to have my professor tell me she received a letter lobbying for a Proposition 8, similar to the one recently passed in California, to be passed here in Pennsylvania. I wanted to throw something when I heard- H8 wasn’t enough in California, we need to spread it nationwide? To me, it doesn’t make sense- and it shouldn’t make sense to you either. I’m sorry. That sounds extremely biased, I’m sure, but I said it anyway and intend to repeat it- it shouldn’t make sense to you either.

You can have Religion, that’s fine. You can tell me Jesus rose from the dead, or that God has yet to send the Messiah. Tell me the plans Allah has for you or recite the 7 pillars of Islam. Please, give me details about the tiny aliens that infest our bodies that must be purified through meetings (and you can do it while jumping around on Oprah’s couch if you feel you must) but DON’T tell me who can and who can’t get married. It doesn’t matter if Jesus, Allah, God, and Buddha had a meeting and said they disapproved- not everyone believes in all of them (not to mention, if they all managed to exist at once, none of the Religions of which they come from could still technically exist… but that’s completely beside the point).

Considering that unfair argument, I would love for someone to propose a point to me that does not, in some way, relate back to Religion. Not everyone has one, let us remember, and in this great land, not only is there freedom of Religion (meaning, that even if Atheism isn’t considered a “Religion”, freedom thereof entitles us all to deny it… hence, atheism is valid) but there is also separation of Church and State. So, write up a constitutional amendment that in no way, shape, or form relates back to any form of a Religious argument. Maybe, you can change my mind.

Having said that, allow me to make a plea to the other side of this argument. Again, I’ll be blunt- to the lazy side. Proposition 8 passed in California. Where were you? Did you make any attempts at a donation, a phone call, an email? Maybe, if we all actually moved as one force we can stop the next wave of H8 before it sweeps the nation like some wacked-out version of Beatle Mania. Or worse (and I’m gonna use the other side’s way of thinking in retaliation) the rights movement will move so far backward, women will lose their right to vote again and then… well, you do the math.

Sal Infantino
Wilkes University '10
Communication Studies/Theater Minor