Andrew Manuel Camacho: 2008

So, as many know, the passionate debate on both sides of Proposition has be fierce lately, and obviously I'm on the opposition side. The election is only three days away, and the nervousness and intensity can be felt everyone, there's constant debate among my friends, family, coworkers, and classmates. I wrote a bulletin on MySpace a week ago on on the fallacies that the Campaign for Prop 8 have been airing. So far I've received two responses of support, and this morning I received my first response of opposition to my argument, oddly enough, from an old high friend who has only been connected to me only though MySpace. I believe after high school, she married right away and has been a "born agian Christian", so I can definitely understand her response, but it's the misconception of her belief that intriguied me and really supported my original claim to begin with. Below is the email conversion including my original bulletin:

Hi Jenn,

I hope all is going well with you :)

You're right, the California Education Code does say that in section 51933. Also , if you continue reading that section is also says: "(1) Instruction and materials shall be age appropriate." and "(6) Instruction and materials shall encourage a pupil to communicate with his or her parents or guardians about human sexuality." Both rules encourage parents to teach their children at the appropriate time in their lives. Additionally, further in the California Education Code, specifically in section 51937 in states:

"51937. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage pupils to communicate with their parents or guardians about human sexuality and HIV/AIDS and to respect the rights of parents or guardians to supervise their children's education on these subjects. The Legislature intends to create a streamlined process to make it easier for parents and guardians to review materials and evaluation tools related to comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education, and, if they wish, to excuse their children from participation in all or part of that instruction or evaluation. The Legislature recognizes that while parents and guardians overwhelmingly support medically accurate, comprehensive sex education, parents and guardians have the ultimate responsibility for imparting values regarding human sexuality to their children."

This paragraph gives parents in California the right to review all materials on what will be taught to children on sex education in any school district in the state. If parents do no want their children learning about ANY marriage (heterosexual or homosexual) they have the right to excuse their child from those lessons. What the Yes on Prop 8 campaign is doing, is using a very well crafted fallacy to scare parents into thinking that their children will be emotionally harmed by schools forcing this subject to be taught if this proposition does not pass. Which why it is a fallacy, and not a fact, it is false.

And Jenn, I really want to apologize in my wording of my second bulletin concerning that advertisement to "The Call". I should have specified more on why it scares me, it's not the actual idea of Christians coming to together and praying and fasting that does, it's the idea of this specific event. The organizer Lou Engle is organizing this based on the idea that this is a confrontation of "Light vs. Darkness" which insinuates that the opposition again Proposition 8 is the "darkness" which is utterly ridiculous and offensive. Furthermore, he calls on people to "cry out to god for the deliverance of the homosexual". I really don't know how much more offensive and ignorant you can get with that statement, but it's the ranting of a very conservative right wing extremist, and there's no place for that in American politics, he's combining a religious event with a political rally which is definitely a bad mix. Also he has a scary voice :(

Jenn, I definitely respect your beliefs, and I just hope you would respect mine and others. Because in this country since we have so many religions and beliefs, our country was founded on the idea to keep religion out of the system so no offense or unfairness would occur. This proposition favors the conservative religious institutions beliefs over mine or millions of other people, which is unfair. I definitely respect your power to vote however which way you believe in, I just want you to know the facts and understand the idea behind this proposition and consider them before you do vote,

Thanks for putting up with my long email, and I really hope you are doing great :)

Andrew

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: GirlAdam
Date: Oct 31, 2008 11:57 AM

According to California Education Code Section 51933, if a school decides to teach a comprehensive sex education class to K-12 graders (and which school district doesn't?), "Instruction and materials shall teach respect for marriage and committed relationships." Thus, marriage is taught in California schools.

I love you Andrew, but i am voting yes on 8.

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Andrew
Date: Oct 22, 2008 7:43 PM

This is what the website for the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign is using as their advertisement to the masses:

and this is what their website site says on why we should vote yes on Prop 8:
"For example, because public schools are already required to teach the role of marriage in society as part of the curriculum, schools will now be required to teach students that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, starting with kindergartners. By saying that a marriage is between “any two persons” rather than between a man and a woman, the Court decision has opened the door to any kind of “marriage.” This undermines the value of marriage altogether at a time when we should be restoring marriage, not undermining it.
"

This is so WRONG and extremely FALSE. They are flat out LYING to the masses to get more votes. Proposition 8 has no language at all to force schools to teach about gay marriage. It is and always will be up to the school district's council and teacher and parent input to decide the curriculum for that district. The California school curriculum is NOT affected by this proposition at all, and saying that it is, is a scare tactic being used by the supporters of Proposition 8. Not only that, but they are using comparative generalization to a specific case in Massachusetts to argue that we will teach same sex marriage to elementary age children here in California, their tactics amaze me. The sad thing is, some people will actually believe in this fodder.

Proposition 8 does NOT disrespect marriage in any way, it allows EVERYONE to part take in this beautiful tradition no matter what your color/religion/sexual orientation. This proposition has NOTHING to do with marrying animals or your own family, another scare tactic and argument used by the Christian Right.

Keep religious beliefs separate from state and our constitution!

Sorry, had to rant there, just very frustrated today with all these sickening campaigns,

Andrew

Below is the second bulletin that I posted along with my friend's response:

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: GirlAdam
Date: Oct 31, 2008 11:41 AM

It scares you when Christians get together to fast and pray?
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Andrew
Date: Oct 29, 2008 4:33 PM

It definitely shows that in this day and age, there are so many well crafted misconceptions that sadly many people believe in, are willing to vote on the way this country works because of them.