I was browsing some local blogs this morning and came across hahnathome.com, a nice looking blog that has covered Prop 8 to some extent. I got sucked into one of the threads due to the hateful comments by one visitor. But that's not what I want to focus on. Instead, I want to share a response by "Uncle Doreen" - many of you may not know about why we should vote No on Prop 8

Actually, there are 1,138 federal benifits and responsibilites we are denied. I have listed a few of them for you to ponder.

- Coverage under the Medicare + Choice program
- Medical care for survivors and dependents of certain veterans
- Benefits for children of Vietnam Veterans
- Federal civilian and military service benefits
- Native American housing assistance
- Supportive housing for the elderly
- Protection from Interstate stalking
- Programs for Older Americans Nutritional Services
- Programs for Older Americans Death Benifits
- Access to the Department of Energy Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program
- Eligibility under first-time home-buyer programs
- Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance
- Servicemenbers’Headstones, markers, and burial receptacles
- Employment and Reemployment Rights of Members of the Uniformed Services
- Veterans Outreach Services Program
- Child tax credit
- Tax deduction for Interest on education loans
- Treatment of property acquired by decedent dying
- Family-owned business interests
- Relief from joint and several liability on joint tax return
- Health care coverage through federal employees’ health benefits program
- Child care services and youth program services for dependents under the Military Family Care Programs
- Regulations pertaining to
garnishments
- Tax on excess distribution from qualified retirement plans
- Job training partnership,application of federal law

To read the full list read the findings of the United States General Accounting Office dated January 23, 2004.

http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/GAOBenefits.pdf

Here's the original topic:
http://hahnathome.com/?p=1263

Lets be truthful about what prop 8 will and will not do and not try to mislead the public...  Prop 8 will in no way affect those in California under current state law...we have a domestic partnership Act that gives the same benefits to same sex couples...Those laws cited above are all federal laws..and guess what.. prop 8 will have NO effect on federal law.

I may or may not be against prop 8...either way I do not like the misinformation being spread throughout cyber space.

What does Prop 8 really do?  Well in California its mostly a psychological effect, not  real change in the current laws.

However, if defeated, the only real change that could occur is that the legislature could in fact force schools to teach that homosexuality is normal and healthy, like which has happened in Massachusetts, regardless of the parents moral views.

This is called liberal fascism

http://www.massresistance.org/docs/parker_lawsuit/sc_petition/rejected.html

I wish we had a Prop 8 factcheck.org  you anti prop 8 folks want to win at all costs, even with obvious lies.

Gadfly,  I have to disagree with you. Defeating Proposition 8 will do a lot for same sex couples.  First, it will continue to give us equality under the Sate of California.  How many "straight" couples would be content with simply a Domestic Partership?  I doubt very many, because we all know that it does not provide all the same rights that marriage does.  The simple fact that you acknowledge that there are federal laws that are omitted from domestic partnership only enforces my point. 

As for what public schools will be required to teach our children I think most parents are ignorant.  Has a call to arms been issued for the book "Nappy Hair" which is on the California K-2 reading list? Yet Don Imus was put through the ringer for a broadcasting a very similar racial slur.  I guess it is wrong to propell racism on the radio but okay to quietly force our children to be exposed to it int he classroom.  What about the book "Noah's Ark" which is also on the California K-2 reading list.  Could that not also be construed as pushing religion in a state institution?

Defeating Prop 8 will also bring us one step closer on a national level.  As other states commit to treating all their residents as equals under the law it is only a matter of time before our nation as a whole will do the same.  Then we will finally have the remaining 1138 benefits and responsibilities we are denied. 

PS.  Homosexuality is completely normal and healthy. 



Stop the Hate.   No on 8!

The people votied against gay marraige. That is what makes America so great, the fact that the people decide. If anyone doesn't like the people's decision, moved to Europe and shut up.