My Prop 8 Title of Liberty

Now that the days have past, I really wish I would have taken more pictures while we were out holding our signs.

Last weekend I stood out for 4 hours holding a "Yes on Prop 8" sign. First in front of Safeway and then in front of Raley's. Michael wasn't feeling well, so he stayed home with the three older children. Garrett came with me and slept in the front pack, just a happy little clam. I put a little sun hat on him and a Prop 8 bumper sticker across the front of the baby carrier. A few opponents told me I was embarrassing myself and my child. Meh...he's happier with momma.

I stood on the corner with Susan's husband Jim. As it turned out the Benicia costume competition was being held at the gazebo when we arrived. There were a lot of people, to say the least.

We had a "therapist" approach us who was really wound up. "Why do you support hate?" Without missing a beat Jim said, "We don't support hate."

"Why do you support bigotry?"
"We don't support bigotry."

He went on a bit more, and I tried to answer his questions respectfully and thoughtfully. It was the longest exchange during my time doing the sign waving. What was interesting is that, like the scriptures say, "A soft answer turneth away wrath"(Proverbs 15:1)...SO TRUE! He left us a lot calmer than he came in. I'm sure he was expecting a fight.

We had people honk and give us thumbs up as they went by and other people flip us off and shout "F*** YOU!" as they went by. Someone threw a coke can at Georgia. Fortunately it didn't hit her. Jim waved down a patrol car. Turns out that it is considered a felony. Wow.

"What about equality?!"

"BIGOTS!"

"You should be ashamed of yourselves! A**H***S!"

We did get friendly responses and people saying "Thank-you". Surprisingly enough, despite the negativity the experience was invigorating! We all went home from Safeway at about 12:30. I got some lunch and then headed back over to Raley's with Garrett to go some more.

There were a group of teenagers from the High School who set up on the other corner with makeshift signs. The negativity towards us was lessened, but I started counting their support and ours. It was about 2 to 1 in their favor. I sincerely hope that's not how the election goes. Their display only convinced me more that I am doing the right thing by keeping Ethan out of the Public School system. Here before me was the best example of socialistic indoctrination and brainwashing. I don't believe they understood what they were doing. They were just having fun, supporting what their teachers have told them.

One teacher at the high school was giving extra credit for every Yes on 8 sign stolen. A first grade class went on a field trip to a lesbian wedding. Not taught in schools? Right. Keep telling yourselves that.

Yesterday there was babysitting at the church so parents could both help out. I was hoping to stand with Michael, but Garrett wanted to nurse as soon as he arrived. Just as I left the Gay/Lesbian Club from the High School showed up with their teachers and set up on my corner It wasn't even a minute after I sat down in the car to nurse that it started to rain. Michael had come without any jacket. It was so warm and balmy a jacket would have been too hot. By the time Garrett was done the heavens had opened up in a torrential downpour. I couldn't wear Garrett in the rain, and my raincoat wasn't big enough for him to fit under. He fell asleep nursing, so I took him to the church to be with the other kids. I went home to get Michael's jacket and a dry set of clothes. When I drove by, Michael was standing there soaking wet in the rain stoically holding his sign...the lone man in a crowd of 20 other people around him shouting and waving "No on 8" signs.

I will always regret not stopping to get a picture of that moment. He told me later that he was getting a lot of whispers and trash talk from behind him.

Michael didn't want his jacket and waved me by. I got dressed in all my wet weather gear, got some lunch and went back out. The crowd of teenagers were obnoxious and flippant. The adults standing out on other corners were dignified and very civil. I talked to one lady and asked her how everybody got organized. She said an e-mail went out to let people know.

"So, do you know everybody here?"

"No, I don't know anybody over there, but we're all here together to do the right thing"

I know she was looking to get in a good jab, and in an uncharacteristic moment of having an immediate comeback I said, "Yes, we're all doing the right thing expressing our First Amendment rights"

Another woman was out jogging and stopped to join the demonstration. She stood next to all of us with our "Yes on 8" signs. I talked to her a little bit. She was very nice. When it was time for her to go, I thanked her for being civil as we stood together, "I really do appreciate it"

The "No's" got some angry response from one man who kept driving by telling them they were sick and perverted. I wish now that I had spoken up and encouraged him not to be hateful. I don't believe that Prop 8 is about hate or discrimination, and those who are vocal about it for those reasons, aren't really helping.

A lot of the kids went home sometime after lunch time came and went. Wet, cold, hungry...oh, well. There were two girls left sticking it out on the center median. I went with another "Yes" and stood with them. He noticed a sign in the street and when there was no traffic he retrieved it. He turned it over and it was a No sign. He asked the girls if they wanted it back, and they took it graciously.

We didn't have any competition the first week in front of Safeway, so the angry responses were much worse than when the No on 8 camp came to have their say. In a way, it was easier to stand with the opposition.

I appreciate the decency of those who stood by me with opposing views. I'm glad we could stand together without being hateful towards one another.

I ran to the church to nurse Garrett and then went to Raley's for the last half hour of sign waving. I stood with Meadow who found an unexpected rush in participating. She said she felt like Moroni holding the Title of Liberty, "In memory of our God, our religion, our freedom, and our peace, our wives and our children".

Ours is a unique fight. Who can deny these are the last days?...the signs are all around us. I will stand and fight as I am able. May the Lord come quickly.