Prop 8

I'm sorry, I have to say something.

Voting Yes on 8 is discrimination. Pure and simple.

I saw this somewhere and it is completely ridiculous.

• The people's vote should stand. It is our constitutional right to vote in this country and when 61% of voters in a state make a decision, it should stand. How can four judges be able to speak for all of the people in the state?

The people will decide. We will see what happens...

• There really is nothing to be gained for same-sex couples in the state. Same-sex couples already have all of the same rights as married couples in the state of California. If proposition 8 is not passed, it will allow same-sex couples to infringe on the religious belief and rights we have as U.S. citizens.

There is also nothing to be lost. Same-sex couples are also US citizens who currently do not have all the rights you have. That is not fair. Once upon a time, women and african-americans did not have all the rights as everyone else. There were plenty of outspoken protestors on those issues, too.

Also, how does a same-sex marriage infringe upon your religion? If you don't believe in it, don't practice it! Don't you infringe on their beliefs!

Same sex marriage will not affect your own marriage in any way, either.

• Our children's education will be changed. If the court ruling stands, public schools in the state of California will be obligated to teach about same-sex relationships in a public sector. I believe that it is a private matter between child and parent to explain such a moral and tender issue.

Please. This doesn't change anything. It is happening already.

• Sociological studies have shown that in countries where same-sex relationships are recognized, birth rates decrease. This may not sound so bad to some, but with a national birth rate of 2.1 we are at risk to suffer from the consequences of a decline in population. This has many negative effects in the long term for our country. Effects that they are living with currently in countries in Europe where the elderly population outnumbers the youth. We don't need any more excuses in our life for not being married and/or not having children in this country.

"We don't need any more excuses in our life for not being married and/or not having children in this country." What??

The issue is that people WANT to get married. Wanting to get married is why this is all happening. And many same-sex couples adopt children who would not have a stable, loving home otherwise. That is not wrong. Again, a same-sex marriage does not stop you from getting married or having children. It does not stop anyone.

• If we allow same-sex marriages, it opens the doors for other extremists to push the envelope of what is marriage. Should we allow children to be married to adults? Should we allow polygamy? Should we allow incest? Marriage itself is not a right in this country, it is a privilege granted to couples based on established criteria. It is not everyone's right to marry however they please.

Now you are just being ridiculous. I can't even express how insane those inflammatory statements are! It is a person's right to marry another adult whom they love. Making a commitment like that is huge, no matter who it is. Who are you to decide what is a privilege and who deserves it?

Yes on Prop 8 is plain, old-fashioned discrimination. I recently read that the LDS church is behind 77% of the funding against Prop 8. That just makes me sick and I am ashamed to ever have once been associated with an organization that would do something so hateful. How quick they are to forget how they were once presecuted and discriminated against for what they believed in. They were not allowed basic rights that other US citizens were. "Judge not" is a oft-used quote by LDS members, but what are they doing? Judging how someone lives their life. It is completely hypocritical. Please do not impose your beliefs on others. It is wrong. You may not agree with how someone lives their life, but do not actively campaign against them!

Finding someone you can love is hard enough in this world. Do not try to take that away from those who have found it, no matter what you feel. Let them live. Let them be a US citizen with all rights in place. Marriage is a right for everyone.

If you cannot vote against Prop 8, then don't vote for it at all. Stay out of it. Vote for the president - which is a far more relevant and pressing issue. Please. Hate is wrong and so is voting Yes on 8.