The Best Way to Protect Marriage

Dec 1, 2009

By Ezra.

Humor

Could some Swiftian good come from California's ridiculous ballot procedure? A Sacramento man wants to put an initiative on the ballot to ban divorce to protect the sanctity of marriage. It's a nice shot at the yahoos behind Proposition 8.

John Marcotte is behind the idea, and is currently seeking signers for petitions to get the initiative on the ballot. If I see one of those, I will sign it in a second!

His symbol is a bride & groom stick figure chained at the wrist, which is brilliant, and his website is full of fun stuff. Definitely worth checking out. I especialy enjoyed the brief piece he did on China's brief efforts to ban divorce.

This is a money quote to me: "Since California has decided to protect traditional marriage, I think it would be hypocritical of us not to sacrifice some of our own rights to protect traditional marriage even more," the 38-year-old married father of two said.

See, that's the crux.. we have no problem giving up someone else's rights, but we give nothing up ourselves. I quite like the slogan for his campaign "You too can vote to take away civil rights from someone."

By the way, he is mainly focused on Prop 8, but I think this campaign also makes a larger point about how awful our Proposition system is. When a satirical protest initiative actually has a chance of making the ballot, the whole mess is broken. Maybe we can start an effort to ban Propositions next?

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7 Comments

divorce, Proposotion 8

6 Comments

Ken • Dec 1, 2009 @11:25 am

It was inevitable someone would try to make this point. Fortunately it is being made well.

It will be interesting to see how pro-8 groups respond to it.
Eric T. • Dec 1, 2009 @11:37 am

Can you imagine if it passed?

And it could.
Al • Dec 1, 2009 @1:33 pm

I can see it getting onto the ballot but not passed. People are stupid but not that many people are that stupid.
Xmas • Dec 2, 2009 @6:23 am

Al,

You are talking about California. I really think it would depend on the wording and the name of the proposition…

Proposition 4 – Protecting Traditional Marriage amendment

Proposition 9 – Make Sure Homosexuals Never Want This Right amendment.

Proposition 187 – The Scott Peterson amendment
astonied • Dec 6, 2009 @1:53 am

I love it. I want to bring Proposition No Taxes At All on the ballot. Yep, we don't have to pay any taxes and have a yearly telethon to raise money to pay state expenses. Or how about Proposition Put ME On the Ballot. This one has everyone who is interested in being in the legislature submit their name and one evening we have a BIG lotto game in which a ball would roll out of the shoot with the name of a new representative on it This would sure make California politics a lot more interesting.
astonied • Dec 6, 2009 @3:03 am

Okay it is 2 am and I am still up because I am so upset about this post that I cannot sleep. Does this mean if I am divorced I will have to go back and live with the ex and my new husband too? And if I could not get divorced from husband 2 would the state be requiring that I practice polyandry? And if I am how is not getting divorced helping the state because now instead of having two houses I would have to have only one which would decrease state revenues. Can you imagine if all of us who were divorced had to move in with the ex and take our new families with us? I will tell you what will happen…the state of California will go broke…that's what!