The Prop 8 Campaign Money
Published: November 29, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/opinion/29sat2.html?_r=2&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/opinion/29sat2.html?_r=2&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink)
California's fair-elections commission is investigating a complaint against the Mormon Church's role in campaigning for Proposition 8, which made marriage illegal between people of the same sex. Based on the facts that have come out so far, the state is right to look into whether the church broke state laws by failing to report campaign-related expenditures.
Proposition 8, which California voters passed on Nov. 4, overturned a ruling by the California Supreme Court and wrote discrimination against one particular group of people into the State Constitution. After it passed, tens of thousands of people rallied in cities across the country in support of same-sex marriage. The California Supreme Court said recently that it would review whether Proposition 8 was constitutional.
Mormons were a major force behind the ballot measure. Individual church members contributed millions of dollars and acted as campaign foot soldiers. The church itself also played an unusually large role. Michael R. Otterson, the managing director of public affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — the full name of the Mormons' church — said that while the church speaks out on other issues, like abortion, "we don't get involved to the degree we did on this."
For an organization that has a background in polygamy, defining marriage as between one man and one woman seems a bit odd. But in the 19th century, with US troops massing on the border of Utah to ensure that the territory had a democratic government, the Prophet declared that god had revealed monogamy as the right way. Maybe with enough troops on the borders again, he'll declare gay marriage okay.