Join the Order of the Phoenix: Vote No – Prop 8

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall
any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the
equal protection of the laws.

14th amendment to the United States Constitution

(see entire amendment here)

I often wish I lived in California. The beaches are beautiful, the wineries are filled with wine and best of all, the surfing ROCKS! ( the surfer girl in me pops out now and again) Today, more then ever, I wish I could live in California so I could vote.

I’ve already voted in Texas (I love early voting) so I’d not need to vote for the President, I would love to cast my vote against proposition 8.

As a child I grew up believing one of the best things about our country was that the rights of the minority would always be protected from the will of the majority. I mean, come on, our founding fathers fled away from the tyranny of over-taxation and lack of religious freedom.

While marriage is sometimes thought of as a religious union, it’s also a legal joining of two persons. The “marriage” certificate allows some rights in and of itself including tax breaks, a union of assets and the ability to get health coverage for family members from employers. All of these “perks” are afforded to those with that little piece of paper that has “Marriage License” on the top of it. There are also intangible benefits. The ability to introduce someone as “your spouse” to name just one. Maybe the intangible is more important.

The fact is, in a country where we are all created with equal rights, every adult should share all rights equally. While Proposition 8 is about the ability of same sex couples to legally marry, so much more is at stake.

If we disallow one group the same rights we allow others, then what precedent are we setting? What rights go next? What group might be targeted?

As a free society, we must protect the rights of all who have earned it. This is not an issue only about Prop. 8, but about the freedom of all of us who might not fit into the popular view of the majority.

The Order of the Phoenix fought to protect the rights of those who didn’t fit into the “Pure Blood” mold that many wizards felt was the only way to go. Please, if you live in California, vote against Proposition 8. Please make sure that everyone (Wizard and Muggles alike) is afforded the same rights.

A really huge thanks to Andrew Slack and all the wonderful people at HP Alliance for helping us all join this fight.