CATEGORY: Random Firings

The Unreported: Protesters march thru Tourist Zone

Anti-Prop 8 march invades downtown San Francisco

An exhilarating bit of news was ignored by local media on Saturday Nov 15, 2008—victim of editorial cut-off times on an exquisite Saturday perhaps? After a City Hall rally in which voices of inspiration, tolerance, love and inclusion were raised in opposition to the passing of Proposition 8, a contingent of anti-Prop 8 marchers took their message throughout key tourist thoroughfares downtown, clogging traffic and giving visitors a true taste of San Francisco.

According to the SF Chronicle, the march headed up Market Street and was turned around at Church Street where, presumably it fizzled:

The rally was followed by an impromptu, festive march toward the Castro by about 1,000 people. When police turned the marchers back at Church Street, they walked to Union Square, snarling traffic on Market Street. Source

HOWEVER…

market & powell

The march didn’t fizzle. It headed dead-center down Market Street and spilled onto the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market, where streams of visitors lined Powell street gawking and in some cases applauding as cable cars sat unmoving and street traffic came to a halt.

cable car turnaround

Next stop: Union Square

post street

spilling through the plaza

A shout out for the ladies at Alexandra Bridal

some of the many wonderful supporters along the way: hey brides, shop there!

To the mighty waterfront (aka Kansas on the Bay)
San Francisco has always been a place that appreciated its tourists and visitors. Unlike the inhabitants of Sodom & Gomorrha, whose greatest sin was a lack of hospitality, San Franciscans welcome our guests wholeheartedly and always like to give them a little something to take home with them.

fishermans wharf

fishermans wharf

pier 39

pier 39

horrified

shades of sodom & gomorrah: horrified onlookers on the Embarcadero

Single file between the cars…

Nobody likes to sit in traffic any less than I do. Guaranteed. So while I sympathize with the taxi drivers, delivery drivers, party-goers and anybody else who got held up along the Embarcadero on Saturday, my heart goes out to those who sat patiently and offered waves, honks, cheers and high-fives of support.

tying up traffic for a cause

tying up traffic for a cause

supporters

supporters on the embarcadero

To the Ferry Building then home…
The march consisted of probably a few hundred people. Being one of the marchers, and not a professional people counter, I don’t know exactly how many. By the time the procession ended up back on Market Street and turned into Civic Center plaza, Arvin and I dropped off.

looking back towards the wharf

looking back towards the wharf

to the ferry building

to the ferry building

up market to civic center

back up market st to civic center

The struggle goes on…

into the sun

into the sun

Coast to Coast

Yesterday’s events were part of a nationwide day of action protesting the passage of Prop 8. JoinTheImpact.com planned the nationwide protests. As best we could determine, Saturday’s post-rally march in San Francisco was an unsanctioned, impromptu act of civil disobedience and love.


Different, Equal, and perhaps just a little bit Superior

So this is my argument…

As a citizen of California, I am legally entitled to equal protection under the law. Period.

As a citizen of the United States, I am entitled to hold my personal religious beliefs steadfastly and to express them freely as long as they do not interfere with my fellow citizens’ Constitutionally-given right to pursue life, liberty and happiness. I am as free to practice my faith as my christian neighbors who voted in favor of Prop 8.

I am a spiritual person and I believe in a God force (which may or may not resembled a robed, bearded man on a throne of clouds). My personal, Christ-based religion dictates that the love between two people is holy: “The greatest among these is love..” However, I do not believe that the Old Testament—neither the ‘original’ (of which there is none) nor the countless translations and re-interpretations thereof—define the moral law by which I am bound to life on this earth. That is my belief.

In the United States we have a constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. If a social group opposes the notion of me being equally permitted to pursue a life of love and commitment on the basis of their religious beliefs, then they are de facto imposing their religious doctrine through the machinations of law to suppress my constitutional right to equal protection and the equal pursuit of happiness and religious freedom.

In a land where the church is separate from the state, the laws that govern the state, NOT the laws that govern SOME of the churches within the state, must prevail.

Wait, I’m confused..

Aren’t all sides pushing their religious beliefs through the governmental system?

Indeed.

So then..?

When love takes hold of this nation instead of fear—if we can ever get there—and when the true essence of our Constitution trumps the failures of human decency, then we who believe that love is superior to dogma will prevail. And it will be a better day for everyone.

But then, wait another minute…
Wouldn’t my reasoning equally apply to religious groups who wanted to be allowed to legally marry multiple partners? Isn’t the Mormon faith being discriminated against as equally as gay couples because an individual is only lawfully allowed to be married to one person at a time?

Just a thought.

Left Coast Responses to Prop 8 passage

LA marches against Prop 8
In a city where people drive to the corner market, social protest marches are becoming de rigeur.

SF responds with light
Ever since the White Night riots 30 years ago, candlelight vigils have been the standard non-violent response in SF.


Undefeated

The passage of Proposition 8 in California will rewrite the state Constitution with a bitter pen of fear and loathing. What it will not do is change what is true.1) Arvin and I were legally married on Oct 25. Period.

2) The law cannot suppress forever what the heart knows is true.

Prop 8 will create a constitutional amendment declaring that marriage in California is between a man and woman only. We have already proven that to be false: our unification ceremony in Palm Springs was entirely legal. Arvin and I are legally married. Can the will of a certain sect of people nullify something that already exists? (The infinite powers of the Vatican notwithstanding.)

If necessary, I say let that 50-odd% of the people keep their term marriage. Do I really want to take part in an institution that has a 50% failure rate and comes with it the baggage of constantly fearing for its permanence because of invisible outside threats?Those 50+% can keep their sanctimony. I, on the other hand, will preserve the true sanctity of my commitment.