As all of you know, yesterday’s Prop 8 ruling did not go so well. We are going to have to hit the streets again soon.
Like NOW.
As most of you may know, the Porterville City Council was complicit above and beyond its First Amendment responsibilities in using City Resources to campaign for Prop 8. Under the cover of darkness, they passed a resolution urging
Portervillians to vote in favor of Prop 8.
Once the word got out, we filled the next City Council meeting with speaker after speaker during the public comment hearing to force them to listen to hours of individual testimonies about how their hate mongering hurt real live people.
Now the roosters have come home to roost. The next meeting is this coming Tuesday June 2, 2009 at 6PM at City Hall on Main Street in Porterville, and you are needed to put a human face on tthe issue again.
This is true, whether you live in Porterville or not. If you work here, if you shop here, if you went to school here, if your friend or family did any of these things, or if you think you ever might, you are affected by what has been done by the Council AND THEY NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
YOU CAN BE SURE THE PRO-H8-ERS IN TOWN WILL BE OUT IN FORCE THANKING THE COUNCIL FOR THEIR "BRAVE AND PRINCIPLED AND CORRECT STAND".
Do not let that be the majority voice the Council will hear!!!!
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Let Fury Rule the Hour
Anger Can Be Power
Do You Know that You Can Use It?
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Who is invited: Everyone, gay, straight, friends, family. anyone who understands the number one principle about America is that we don’t take affirmed rights away from people, not at all, and especially not because of a majority vote in a single election.
Age: 6-100
When: 7PM, 6PM if you need public speaking coaching
Where: Porterville City Hall, Main Street
What: Speak for up to 3-5 minutes before Porterville City Council about how having your rights, or your loved one’s rights, taken away, or potentially taken away, and how it hurts Porterville as a City when our Council propagates hate under the guise of official government business.
You can speak for 15 seconds of until they cut you off, I don’t care, but I want as many people as possible to show up and speak, I want to see at least 100 people, whether they are from PFLAG, local gay straight alliances, whoever, wherever.
I especially want to see at least 50 high school sophmores, juniors, and seniors, who were not old enough to vote last time, but will be by November 2010 or November 2012.
How it works: After the pledge of allegiance, the Mayor will say that there is no an open comment period if anyone has anything to explain. One by one, until there are no more, everyone can go up, state their name and hometown (some people give their street address, but I don’t and it is not necessary), and then they speak from the heart. You can use notes or read what you have to say if it helps.
The Coucil members are supposed to only listen and not make comments in return. Tell them how you feel! Do not hold back!
After the comments, Council will conduct its regular meeting. There is another open comment period and everyone can speak again. In theory they can cut people off around 11 and adjourn the meeting, but I think politically that would be unwise for them to do if a lot of people are waiting to speak.
I would like everyone to stay until the 2nd comment period and speak again on what occurred to you while you heard the others speak.
I know it will be late, and I know you have to go to school or work in the morning. But fighting for your rights is hard work, and sometimes that means staying up late and missing a bit of sleep!
You need not be out to make comments, and you will not be outing yourself by speaking.
You may be nervous or scared, this is natural. No matter how shy you are, you can do it. Even if your entire speech is "I am (your name), a voting citizen of Porterville, and what you have done is wrong", that is enough!
If you are nervous, I will personally coach you through it. There is a gazebo directly across the street from City Hall, I will be there by 6PM. Let’s all meet there, and let me know if you need encouragement. If you can get yourself there, I will get you through your comments, that is my promise to you!
Why: Goes without saying, but I am going to say it anyway.
California now has 3 classes of people where there should be 1:
– People who can marry their loved ones anytime
– People who can never marry their loved ones on the basis of being homsexual
– People who are already married, but because they are homosexual, should they become single again through either divorce or death of spouse, can never marry again
In addition, we have learned, that in California, the rights of *any* minority exist only so long so dudes with a clipboard don;’t think working for minimum wage to collect signatures on a ballot measure to take them away is a good use of their time. It was a good enough use of their time last year though, and it will be again – times are tough!
Value: If yesterday;s news has not completely radicalized you, attending this meeting will. Democracy means face to face discussions, and this is the way to do it.
Directions: 65 N or S to Henderson Avenue exit, heading EAST. About 1 mile to Main Street, turn right. About 4/4 mile on right is City Hall, just past Bank of America.
Do not take this sitting down!
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No man born with a living soul
Can be working for the clampdown
The voices in your head are calling
Stop wasting your time, there’s nothing coming
Only a fool would think someone could save you
The men at the factory are old and cunning
You don’t owe nothing, so boy get runnin’
It’s the best years of your life they want to steal
