Somehow, I’ve managed to avoid all Proposition 8 commercials and propoganda; I think it must be because I watch all my TV over the internet. In fact, it wasn’t till last week that I finally caught my first for-Prop 8 and my first anti-Prop 8 advertisements.

And in case you happen to have missed them to or live out of California, here you go! For your viewing pleasure I give you FOR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PgjcgqFYP4

 And now I give you AGAINST:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHeTVAE4ZkY

I love how both campaigns completely walk around the actually issue: Prop 8 will amend the California constitution to prohibit gay marriages/civil unions/whatever you want to call them. I think they’re targeting undecided voters especially, which means that the campaigners need to use keywords to swing them over to their side.  Take the “FOR” commericial: it uses children, families, schools and education, making a viewer misperceive that Prop 8 infringes on what a parent has a right to expect their children will be taught in schools. Think of the poor children and the poor parents who will have to explain why some children have two married mommies or daddies!

I think the “AGAINST” commercial uses equally low tactics; it discusses how Prop 8 is discriminatory and unjust. It uses language in such a way that an uninformed, undecided voter might think, “Well, I’m not a racist or anything so I’m against this prop!”

They both are very underhanded in making their points. I wish the solution were as simple as that presented by a group of men and women I walked by today:

They stood on the corner of a major intersection, deep in Los Angeles suburbia, waving signs that said NO TO PROP 8! SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE/RIGHTS! While they stood there, car drove by honking in support or pointedly ignoring them.  Drivers held their thumbs ups enthusiastically, stared pointedly, looked away in annoyance or rolled down their windows to catcall.

It was just a more descriptive scene of what’s really going on here: some Californias think it should be a given that same-sex marriage is protected by the state, some Californias don’t understand the fuss and don’t care, some Californians are annoyed and frustrated that they need to acknowledge this “problem,” and others are angry that it’s even thought possible.

Well, California goes to the polls in a few weeks and ballots are already pouring in. A few years ago, the general populance agreed that marriage should be defined as only between a man and woman. But we’ll see what happens this time. I honestly don’t know, but I hope for the best and I hope that you do too.