Remember, Remember the 6th of November, and Vote No

If you're like me, you never read the comic book but loved the movie V for Vendetta.  Having Elrond dawn a mask and kick a bunch of guys with guns using only knives was pretty bad ass.  It is interesting that this year a day noted as a day of bucking the government (November 5th), falls on the eve the United States Election.

As a Minnesota resident, there is something that, to me, seems more important than the vote for president.  Don't get me wrong, the presidential choice is a big one, possibly the biggest in our nation's history, but I am not going to change your mind about that, there are TV and YouTube advertisements to tell you who to vote for (all sarcasm aside I hope you are smart enough to think about the issues and make an informed decision).    Anyway, there are two amendments to Minnesota's constitution on this year's ballot and I urge any Minnesotan reading this to Vote No on both.  I'll quote myself here from another site where I posted about this:


I generally prefer people make their own decisions and avoid using social media to express my political views. However, with tomorrow's election there are two amendments to the Minnesota constitution on the ballot that I would regret having not done what I could to prevent if they were to pass. 

Regardless of who you are voting for, President, Senate, or House I urge you to put politics aside and Vote No on both of these amendments. This is not a matter of political affiliation, this is a matter of human rights. I cannot endorse passing a voter ID law that targets a specific demographic and creates barriers to citizens trying to exercise one of their human rights in this country. A barrier that would cost local and state governments millions. I also cannot endorse passing what amounts to a government repressing basic human rights for some of its citizens. 

For those who say marriage between two individuals of the same sex should be called a "Civil Union," sure, as long as they are for all forms of union, including man and woman. "Separate but equal" has not worked in the past and it will not work now. If you say Marriage is a matter of the Church, that's fine. There is a separation of Church and State in this country and until we have a civil institution that covers traditional marriage for couples of the same sex, we have no right to limit it. No one is making your church allow gay couples to get married and voting No on this still does not allow gay couples the same rights as heterosexual ones. A vote yes is a vote to ban same sex marriage, a refusal to have a discussion about the rights of a significant portion of our State's citizens. 

Personally, I do not want to forever be from a state marred in a history of limiting human rights. I want to be proud of a state that took a stand and was willing to have a discussion about human rights before we ignorantly snuffed out something that maybe... we just did not completely understand. Minnesota, please Vote No, on the amendments to the constitution tomorrow. A constitution should be about civil liberties and what we stand for as a State. I do not want to stand for intolerance and injustice against those who might happen to be just a little bit different than me, but are human beings trying to gain life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Just like myself.

Now, I do not want this to become a political blog and other than this post and maybe one once the results are in, I am 99% sure you will not have to read another for 4 years.  I just think this country is in transition and I am afraid of becoming known as the equivalent of one of the deep south states and slavery in terms of gay rights.  There are more important things than building an economy at a time like this.  I will not trade civil injustice for a bigger paycheck.

Until these two days have passed and we can move onto lighter things, have a good night.