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03/24/2009

Acknowledging public reality = 'hate'?!

by Jeremy Hooper
Is it "hateful" to acknowledge donations that are on the public record, readily available to anyone with an internet connection? And is making note of that public record, then using a technological mashup in order to visually represent the data, an act of "hate"?  It is if you see the world through Linda Harvey's anything-but-pride-flag-colored glasses.

This is a letter that Ms. Harvey, through her Mission America group, is sending around to anyone willing to listen:

Please do one simple thing to keep rabid homosexual activism accountable. Go to this page of the Southern Poverty Law Center web site: http://www.splcenter.org/center/contact.jsp Send them a complaint about a hate group. In the selection box, click on "Report hate activity in your community." This should work even if you are not in California. Then just compose a quick message about the following group: The group is this web site, http://www.eightmaps.com/ This site identifies the physical addresses of the Prop 8 donors--those who contributed to the successful California measure affirming traditional marriage. Here's a suggested text for your message:

Please list among your hate groups the organization responsible for the web site, http://www.eightmaps.com/ . This site has made it easy for anyone who wants to physically target a person who contributed funds to support the Proposition 8 marriage initiative. This is a direct incitement to possible violence, and the site needs to be taken down. In addition, please list under your "hate incidents" all the pro-homosexual, anti-marriage violence that occurred following the passage of Prop 8. Right now, there seems to be nothing listed on your site. Please be objective and list ALL types of "hate" incidents.

Thank you.

---------
Please pass this along message to as many people as possible. If the SPLC really monitors hate and incitement to violence, they need to identify these folks as a hate group and also, list the virulent actions of the anti-marriage activists.

Mission America
P-FOX, Mission America targets site that reports contributors to Prop 8 [PHB]

So basically, for the "crime" of making note of California's donor rolls --  rolls that were upheld by the CA court system as lawful -- Mission America and allies want this Eight Maps site listed alongside groups who foster real and demonstrable hate.  An idea offensive to LGBT people, anyone who's ever Linda-Harvey experienced actual discrimination, and everyone who think that it's quite alright to report that which our government reveals to the public sector.  Regardless of what you think of Prop 8 and its merits, it's beyond chilling to think that there are some out there who'd rather change donor laws and/or label others a "hate group" rather than take ownership of their political actions.  What next -- are these folks gonna seek an injunction against the constitution's principles since they personally see liberty and justice as applying only to heteros?

And once again, we have to make note of the fact that public donor rolls go both ways.  The "Yes on 8" side could very easily plug the pro-gay names into a Google Map.  Yet nobody -- NO-body -- on the pro-equality side is the least bit nervous that their own contributions are going to be revealed.  Heck, most of us wear our principled penny-pumpings as badges of honor.  Doesn't the difference in comfort level say something about the merits of the donations?  We certainly think so. 

Now, the Linda Harveys of the world would surely say it's just that gays are big, bad meanies who are more prone to "harassing" the donors; but those of us who exist in oft-persecuted queer bodies know the fallacy of that argument.  To us, the clear difference is that "Yes on 8" knows that they fueled tyranny, and knows from first grade that one can't step on another's foot and expect the victim to just smile and take it.  Regardless of how righteous they might see their quest, they know deep down that they wronged us.  So now they are playing the "harassment" card in a desperate attempt to flip the narrative of this post-Prop 8, eye-opened world. 

It's not going to work. 

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Your thoughts

Don't these nutters realize just how scary American politics would get if political donors were hidden from the electorate?

Posted by: VeliciaL | Mar 24, 2009 10:42:07 AM

I love these people. When it comes to foisting religion upon the public, it's always, "it's freedon *of* religion, not freedom *from* religion."

Well, it's freedom *of* speech, not freedom *from* speech.

Has anyone pointed out that they can use the very same records to make a "No on 8" map? Nothing is stopping them. Are they Lazy? Do they lack the computer skills?

Or are anti-8 people that much smarter than pro-8 people?

PS: Let's not forget that when this kind of stuff really mattered (ie before the measure was voted on), the pro-8 side *did* use these records to intimidate business owners.

Posted by: DN | Mar 24, 2009 11:37:54 AM

Perhaps she'd like to include the LA Times as a hate group. They have a website that lets you look up contributors for or against Prop 8 by name, city, or zip.

Posted by: Timothy | Mar 24, 2009 1:58:49 PM

Its a bit satisfying that these weirdo bigots are finally showing their cowardice and rank stupidity.

Posted by: Rick Loesser | Mar 24, 2009 2:27:05 PM

Let's not forget that ProtectMarriage.com threatened to do this first - before the election.
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/10/protect-marriag.html
Perhaps Mission America can make sure ProtectMarriage.com is listed as a hate group too - if listing public information on a website constitutes a hate group, alone.

There used to be a YouTube video of Bill O'Reilly interviewing a woman from ProtectMarriage.com about their threat to expose major No On 8 donors if they don't make an equal donation to Prop 8, but I can't seem to find it this morning...

But anyway, no one cared. I guess they're really just upset that their donors aren't very proud of supporting them. Especially if they're beginning to realize the Prop 8 campaign was bogus.

Posted by: remix | Mar 24, 2009 3:07:04 PM

Yea, we've covered that a few times, remix. In fact, we put it into a YT video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iQbPtMYfrA

Posted by: G-A-Y | Mar 24, 2009 6:15:33 PM

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