Look Out – They Are Getting Organized
I have assumed since the election last week that the protests in the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 would eventually run out of steam as the reality of the fact that the people of California spoke sunk in. To date, the protests have been relatively ad hoc affairs. But now they are getting organized. Which may also be a sign that the effort is slowing down as organization becomes necessary to keep it going. We’ll see tonight. But the protests are spreading throughout the nation.
There is some interesting reading on all this out there. Jason Zengerle, blogging at The New Republic points out the obvious for this blog:
When you think about Mitt Romney’s problems in ‘08, it seemed as if the biggest one was his inability to convert the enthusiasm social conservative elites felt for him into enthusiasm for him among social conservatives at the grassroots level. If, over the next few years, the Mormon Church becomes the driving force behind the anti-gay marriage crusade, isn’t that likely to change opinions about the LDS among rank-and-file social conservatives? And wouldn’t that be a serious boost to Romney if, despite his friends’ claims to the contrary, he runs for the White House in ‘12?
Anti-Mormon sentiment was wrong in the primary, just as it is wrong now. What is a shame is that it is taking something like this to turn the tide on that.
The Mormon Times, which some might consider to be a dubious source for this kind of material, points out what has also bee obvious to this blog, Anti-Mormonism is playing a huge role in the targeting decision the forces alligned against Prop 8 are making. The case is well developed from extra-Mormon sources. Pajamas Media blog Classical Values also points out the obvious bigotry that is behind the actions in the wake of the passage of Prop 8.
It is interesting to watch a movement, claiming the hertiage of the civil rights movement, act in such a bigoted fashion. It is sort of like watching a person pull the rug out from under themselves.
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Sherry on 12 Nov 2008 at 4:15 pm #
I went over to that site you were talking about and ran across a page that has pictures with signs in them, presumably for the protesters this Saturday to copy. I found it interesting that there were 22 pictures with about 65 or so signs that were readable. Eliminating the outdated election materials and identical signs there were 53 representative signs for others to copy. Of those 53:
2 are anti church and state or a little less then 4%
3 are anti christian or 5.7%
10 are obviously and blatantly anti LDS or 19% that is 1 in 5. Wow.
5 of the anti LDS signs are directly related to polygamy in some way.
It will be interesting to see if 1 in 5 of the signs this Saturday are also anti LDS.
As an aside: You were right about the polygamy issue. The fact that there aren’t any LDS polygamists still living doesn’t phase these people. As far as I’m concerned they are protesting people who lived 100 years ago or more. I wish them luck trying to change the opinions of dead people. Most of the LDS people I’ve been able to talk to about polygamy over the years do not identify in any way with the term “polygamist,” and have been universally anti-polygamous in their personal beliefs. I have to wonder if the signs related to polygamy are aimed at someone else entirely. But that doesn’t even make sense if you really think about it. Go figure.
Doug King on 12 Nov 2008 at 8:46 pm #
I’m wondering if the goals of this anti-Mormon campaign are not so much retribution for Proposition 8 but intimidation of all religious denominations that may oppose gay marriage in the future. As someone pointed out elsewhere, the storming of houses of worship by gay activists is reminiscent of KristallNacht by the Nazis 70 years ago.