Holly's Notes and Condition

Promoting A Statewide Proposition

Nov 5th - I'm guessing that the maintenance crews around the city are happy that the election is over. I say this because for the last (3) weeks, there have been a steady stream of signs being placed on street corners and along roads. The maintenance guy at the huge Bella Vista apartment complex in Mission Viejo, who checks the property several times a day, using a golf cart and taking down any political signs that are on the property - has had a constant stream of signs both 'Yes on 8' and 'No on 8' because the complex is on such a major traffic artery for the area, that both campaigns wanted the 'free' exposure, even if it meant that they would continually have to replace signs, which they both did. The really big money push came in (3) weeks ago - the campaign to pass Proposition 8. Television ads, radio ads, print ads - ads everywhere. Proponents of proposition 8 said "protect marriage" on their signs. Opponents said proposition 8 was "unfair and wrong" and 'equality for all'. Of the huge backers and very organized proponents of this measure in our area, the churches, in particular, the Mormon, Catholic and Saddleback Church really spearheaded the 'Yes on 8'political activity. They mounted an impressive 'get out the vote' campaign. But what I noticed, as I drove past the corners of the main streets in our area, with people waving 'Yes on 8' signs, both in the morning and in the evening, was how it set off a wave of 'No on 8' people waving signs either right beside them or on opposite street corners. It is the first time in the 8 years that I've lived in RSM, that people have felt strongly enough about a proposition to put 'Vote Yes on 8' on their cars, signs in their yards and canvass the neighborhood with 'get out the vote' door hangers, where they reminded you to vote 'Yes on 8" yesterday, Nov 4th. We also had the neighbors, a house away, putting up 'NO on 8' signs and college kids, mostly, painting their car windows, with 'No on 8' and driving around, moving billboards, as it were - very grassroots, but just as passionate about 'No on 8', just not funded or organized as well as the proponents.

Proposition 8 is still 'undecided' as of this morning. The 'Yes on 8' and the 'No on 8' signs are all coming down and the neighborhood is quiet - very, very quiet this morning. In fairness, its normally quiet and it was very quiet last night, when Barack Obama was announced the winner of the Presidential Election. If there were celebrations taking place in our neighborhood - and I'm quite sure there were - they were taking place, inside people's homes, without disturbance or noise or outward fanfare.

I put our large American flag back up on our tall flagpole in the backyard, as I had taken it down with the recent rain we had. As I watched it wave in the morning breeze, I marveled that our American elections actually 'work' - that we can vote on things and still have a 'quiet and peaceful' process - even if we disagree strongly and passionately with one another.

posted by Holly @ 8:14 AM