Chicken Rights? Yes! Human Rights? Not So Much...

California's controversial "Proposition 8" to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California has received scads of news coverage. (No links. Google it yourself, you lazy bastard.) Although votes on Proposition 8 are still being tallied, the consensus is that Proposition 8 has passed.

Somewhat lost in partisan noise was "Proposition 2", which passed overwhelmingly and which was not covered by CNN. Proposition 2 (to be enacted in 2015), makes it illegal to confine calves, hens, or pigs in a manner that prevents them from lying down, standing up, extending their limbs, or turning freely around.

Proposition 2 and 8 both received almost the exact same number of "yes" votes—6.26 million for Proposition 2 and 6.16 million for Proposition 8. Now the similarity in those numbers is almost certainly coincidental, but it's fun to speculate that all of the people who voted to add legal protections for certain animals also voted to strip legal protections from certain humans. That sort of jives with my stereotype that all that sunny weather has addled the average Californian mind just a bit. Or maybe that's just bitterness on my part, given the 7 months of winter we endure up here. (And, mind you, I'm not opposed to the animal rights thing... I actually wouldn't have learned of Proposition 2 if it weren't for our subscription to Veg News.)

Interestingly, Governator Schwarzenegger is now encouraging gay activists to fight the constitutional amendment in court. That's a really... um... interesting statement coming from the guy who twice vetoed legislation to legalize same-sex marriages formally.

Tomorrow I'll be taking part in the national protest against Proposition 8. I'll let you know how that goes.

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Novel: 102 words
Blog: 272 words
DAILY TOTAL: 374 words

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