This election year, the majority of us are hearing the smear campaigns against Obama and McCain.  In California, however, the heat is turned up over proposal 8, the ballot proposal that will decide the fate for same-sex marriages. 

Of course, California has been in the media spotlight for years now with it’s on-again-off-again acceptance of the issue; and now they’re putting it to the voters.  Because the debate is deep, legal, and heated, we will refer you to the Wikipedia entry about the proposal for a more in-depth analysis, however, in a nutshell according to the California General Election Title and Summary page about proposal 8, passing the proposal would eliminate the rights of same-sex couples to legally marry. The outcry about the proposal has created campaigns for and against it’s passage making the proposal the second costliest decision in the nation.

Religious leaders are preaching about it in pulpits. For those who have chosen to skip services, enough pressure is being put on church members to vote to pass the proposal and revert the legalization of marriages to the traditional definition of between a man and a woman outside of the church walls.  The San Francisco Gate, the online version of The San Francisco Chronicle reported that

“Prop. 8 opponents are increasingly narrowing their focus on Mormons, harnessing technology and open-records laws in their efforts. One Web site run by a Prop. 8 opponent, Mormonsfor8.com, identifies the name and hometown of every Mormon donor. On the Daily Kos, the nation’s most popular liberal blog, there is a campaign to use that information to look into the lives of Mormons who financially support Prop. 8.”

Such drastic and privacy invasive acts are creating heightened tension for supporters such as “Michele Sundstrom, 47, of San Jose, who has been married for 18 years and has five children.

She and her husband gave $30,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign and put a sign on their home. But in response, two women parked an SUV in front of their home, with the words “Bigots live here” painted on the windshield.”

Both presidential candidates as well as their running mates have spoken out against the proposal.  School boards have voted against supporting a position despite teachers coming together to give a $1 million contribution to oppose the proposal.

Interestingly, the opposition to proposal 8 does not always come from outside churches, classrooms, and government.  A San Francisco area TV station reports “A group of San Mateo County residents, reverends, church members, business people, a county supervisor, parents, labor leaders and students gathered on the steps of the historic courthouse in downtown Redwood City Thursday morning to garner support for an effort to defeat Proposition 8”.  The basic idea to oppose proposal 8 is that it is a civil rights issue creating legal discrimination if passed.

Also in support of the proposal are internet giant Google and computer mogul Apple who have cited their early support of same-sex couples within their organizations.

 Not nearly as popular, Anchorage Alaska’s proposal 8 is seeking to de-regulate taxi-cab permits.  Boy do they know how to shake things up in those parts!