California May Vote Next Year On Putting Gays 'To Death By Bullets To The Head'

[TexasTowelie]

If you thought Prop 8 was outrageous, you may find this proposed ballot initiative to be totally insane.

Earlier this month, Christian anti-gay activist Matt McLaughlin took advantage of California's extremely lenient policy on ballot initiatives by filing papers to have residents vote on his Sodomite Suppression Act. If you're wondering if that is what it sounds like, it is.

"Seeing that it is better that offenders should die rather than that all of us should be killed by God's just wrath against us for the folly of tolerating-wickedness in our midst," the measure reads, "the People of California wisely command, in the fear of God, that any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method."

Yes, you read that right.

Matt McLaughlin, who is also an attorney, would like the people of California to vote on whether or not they want a law to "put to death by bullets to the head" all gay people or "any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification."

Read more: http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/forget_prop_8_california_may_soon_be_voting_on_putting_gays_to_death_by_bullets_to_the_head

Cross-posted in the California Group.

[safeinOhio]

1. Christian anti-gay activist

Let he who is without sin, pull the first trigger.

[uppityperson]

2. k&r for wider exposure. wtf

[Kalidurga]

3. What a convenient way to find out how many extremists are in your state.

This is horrible of course. But, it illustrates very well that bigotry is real and there really are people who would legislate death to people in groups that they don't like.

[MNBrewer]

7. That's what I was thinking, too.

All signatures on this ballot petition will be public (just ask the Prop 8 organizers). It would be nice to know if you live near a person who wants to execute you.

[Buzz Clik]

4. We're talking about one person in the state who wants this.

The thread title makes it sound like there is a groundswell building for the initiative.

[Lordquinton]

5. How do you think Arnold got elected?

One person wanted to grab power, and it snowballed from there. Don't downplay this, it has some serious repercussions. It's gonna fail, but the implications that people will force because of it are what's important.

[Buzz Clik]

6. Oh. Ok.

[shenmue]

8. Calling the loony bin

Your patient has escaped.

[Jim Lane]

9. The effect of the petitioning process would be a public list of the most extreme bigots -- BUT ...

What would be the effect of its getting on the ballot? It could be seen as pulling the controversy to the right; anything that doesn't involve murdering gays is presented as a reasonable compromise.

OTOH, it does show the face of hatred with the mask fully dropped. Perhaps some people who are basically decent but misguided, and voted for Prop 8 because of concern for "traditional marriage" or whatever, would finally see what their allies were really like. A statewide campaign for this ballot proposition could well produce a backlash that would serve to advance LGBT rights.

More immediately, "California's extremely lenient policy on ballot initiatives" might be due for reconsideration.

[Unvanguard]

10. This isn't going to get anywhere near the ballot.

To put something on the ballot in California, you need a lot of money, and the less popular your initiative is likely to be, the more money you need. The person who submitted this ballot measure is using an excessively open government system (California's initiative submission process) to get a high-publicity expression of his virulent hatred. That's as far as it's likely to go; I doubt the petitions will even be circulated on any wide scale.

[Jim Lane]

11. Yes, that's probably true.

I wouldn't be surprised if the media routinely scrutinize the public list of initiative filings and jump to report on any that are weird or will otherwise make a good story, regardless of the political prospects.

[Fearless]

12. You better not miss.

[RKP5637]

13. As someone in another thread said, there may be more to this than

just a wacko lawyer, but rather a behind the scenes group and he's just the front man to get it rolling. There are a lot of crazy people in the US, an awful lot.

[Amimnoch]

14. Time for an equally ridiculous counter-bill.

Someone in California needs to propose an initiative that will dissolve parental rights for any parent who identifies as Christian, and doesn't believe in both evolution and global climate change, and declare that they are unsuitable for parenting, and that such children removed from homes should be given preferential adoption to GLBT couples to help the children adjust to tolerance.

I'd almost be willing to switch to Fox news for a bit to watch their talking heads explode.