I’m really tired of dancing around this and trying to be nice.

I’ve seen your really cute church ads. I’ve heard you talk about how, in your whacky world of crazy, letting a gay couple marry would somehow infringe on your religious rights. How you’re doing it for the protection of ‘our children’ and how it’s really not about tolerance of ‘lifestyles’ but how it’s about you being ‘forced’ to accept same-sex unions.

Can I just say…YOU EVIL BASTARDS.

And I mean that with all the love in my heart.

This isn’t about religion or what you believe. This is about civil rights and your bigotry. Yes, your religion has made you a bigot. An evil, hating, horrible, bigot.

If you would like your children to not hear about anyone different from them, feel free to keep them the hell out of public schools and for that matter, public places. Because we here in the ‘public’ are not all like you and we allow our citizens, ALL OUR CITIZENS, the same rights.

I’m seeing YES ON PROP 8 signs in my neighborhood and I have half a mind to knock on their doors and ask them why they think bigotry is ok. Why they think denying rights to others is ok. Why they think their family is better than any other family.  Why, exactly, they have SUCH EVIL IN THEIR HEARTS. And where the FUCK they get off with the smiling happy stick-figure family representing them on those fucked up signs.

If your religion does not allow you to marry someone of the same sex..then don’t. If your religion allows for bigotry, perhaps you should find another religion.

Seriously. I am disgusted. Absolutely disgusted by supporters of Prop 8.

I can see absolutely NO justification for this legislation other than you implementing your evil across California.

As my husband just said, Orthodox Jews can’t work on Saturdays…do we come up with legislation making it illegal for everyone to work on Saturdays?

It’s the same thing. You get that, right?

No. You don’t. Because you’re evil, and you some how think gays being allowed the same rights as you is bad.

Perhaps you need to live somewhere that doesn’t allow rights to all it’s citizens. Somewhere where everyone is just like you and thinks like you and lives like you.

Now, many of you will be very quick to point  out the Obama-Biden take on gay marriage. And let us BE CLEAR about that record, shall we? I am not naive enough to think every candidate is perfect, and I am disappointed my candidates won’t go that extra mile for gay marriage. But let’s face it…it’s your fault.

You make up a large electorate and they can’t alienate half the country.  I get that. They want to make sure all voices are heard in American, even the evil ones.

It’s WRONG, but I get it. I’m also proud that they’ve supported equal rights for the LGBT community and will not support any constitutional amendments defining marriage.

Now you, on the other hand…what’s your excuse? Your religion says gay is wrong? Your religion also says you should stone wicked kids, but…I digress.

Get your bigotry out of my state. Get it out of my schools and get it out of my country. ALL are welcome, and that means you too, if you can stay and play nice.

Forced toleration can suck sometimes. But hey, I have to tolerate you, so it works both ways.

Oh, and by the way…years from now, when this is looked back upon like the civil rights movement in the 60’s, and people ask you what side you were on…have fun explaining that one.

*updated 10/20/2008
I keep re-reading and re-reading this post because it’s gnawing at me and won’t seem to let me go. Yes, I am angry. I am very angry over this issue, and writing this was cathartic and let me push all my anger onto a blank page. But as the debate and venom continues over same-sex marriage, I’m worried my hitting ‘publish’ did more harm than good. That I just threw out something into the world that spewed just as much hate as the what I perceive to be coming at me from those who support this measure. To be clear, and as I said in comments, I do not believe all religions and all faiths are evil or bigoted. I found more love in some Christian friends and family than can be expressed. I’ve also seen entire Jewish communities condemn this measure and other faiths rally against discrimination and bigotry. But perhaps, what I keep getting as I re-read this…is a microcosm of what’s gotten so out of hand on this issue and in this entire election: we’re all just name calling and screaming at each other. I regret adding to that, I truly do…but it’s so hard when you feel pushed there. Pushed by whatever entities are at work. So I’m letting this post stand because it’s a fair representation of how I felt when I wrote it, it does-if you can get past the venom-convey all the things I find wrong about this measure and why it should be defeated. But it occurs to me that this entire fight…this battle…is over love. Who can love. How they can love. Why they can or can not love. And the last thing it needs is more hate thrown in. So before you add to the hundreds of comments here or continue to scream and yell, please take that into consideration. Love. -ekv

Ok, that does it.

Now I’m really pissed.

According to Congresswoman Michele Backmann, I’m anti-American and so is half of Congress.

Dear Congresswoman McCarthy, I mean Backmann,

Just because we don’t think like you doesn’t make me ANTI-American. I mean, isn’t your current VP candidate the one running around saying there are only a few places in America that are PRO-American. That sounds pretty damn Anti-American to me.

You and your GOP cohorts are really starting to push this ‘otherness’ crap too far and I think you may all need to measured for white hoods soon.

This is MY America too, and you’re lucky in MY America you’ll still have a seat at the table and a voice come Nov. 5th.

Even if it’s evil and stupid.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Geez, and I was doing so good today being all friendly and love thy neighbor. You totally ruined it.

Sincerely,

Erin Kotecki Vest

I’m going to write this as calmly and as rationally as I can muster.

Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin, it’s time to take a step back and regain your honor. Perhaps you should consider what your latest political strategy is doing to the American public. Perhaps, if you have any sense of dignity or pride, you should stop and regain a sense of responsibility in the misinformation you are giving to the public and it’s ripple effect on people.

From the Washington Post:

Worse, Palin’s routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric‘s questions for her “less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media.” At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, “Sit down, boy.”

…

The reception had been better in Clearwater, where Palin, speaking to a sea of “Palin Power” and “Sarahcuda” T-shirts, tried to link Obama to the 1960s Weather Underground. “One of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers,” she said. (“Boooo!” said the crowd.) “And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, ‘launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,’ ” she continued. (“Boooo!” the crowd repeated.)

“Kill him!” proposed one man in the audience.

Palin also told those gathered that Obama doesn’t like American soldiers. “He said that our troops in Afghanistan are just, quote, ‘air-raiding villages and killing civilians,’ ” she said, drawing boos from a crowd that had not been told Obama was actually appealing for more troops in Afghanistan.

This game you’re playing to win…it’s dangerous. In fact, it’s beyond dangerous. Your lies and your smears and your attempt to insight riots and zealots and extremists is irresponsible and disgusting.

I’m not one to talk, but I at the very least have a heart and conscience.

I will hold you accountable for your attempts, your words, and your strategy.  I will also continue to write and talk and blog every lie and every smear and every misstep, because I can very clearly see what you are doing and that you will stop at nothing to get there.

For every voter you get to yell racial slurs I will find ten, including my own mother,  to knock on doors for Senator Obama.

For every voter you get yelling ‘Kill Him’ at a rally, I will find 50 to blog in support of Senator Obama.

For every voter you inspire to create offensive t-shirts, or buttons, or waffle mix, hang offensive flags or put up disgusting lawn signs, I will find 200 to donate to the Obama campaign.

For every single voter you get to spread your hate, I will find thousands willing to stand up to your evil.

Game over. Enough is enough.

and let Senator McCain talk

We really didn’t have much money in our 401K or our Roth IRA thingies.

We don’t have anything in savings.

Our 1st and 2nd mortgages were Washington Mutual’s up until last week.

Apparently NO ONE will be able to get a loan anytime soon. For anything. So here’s hoping our washer and dryer holds out another few years.

Partisan whining on both sides is making me crazy.

But…

My daughter wearing a princess dress for 5 days straight, including bedtime, is making me crazier.

My daughter now wearing a new outfit UNDER said princess dress for what I am sure will be another 5 days straight, is making me crazier.

Worrying about the teacher to student ratio is my son’s kindergarten class is making me crazier.

Wondering what we’d do if my husband got laid off is making me crazier.

Wondering how we continue to pay down our debt and afford Christmas is making me crazier.

Wondering when I can get my toes done again, because my husband is convinced there be no more ‘frivolous’ spending again is making me crazier.

Wondering when I can sneak in some new clothes for the kids, not resale shop or hand me downs is making me crazier.

Wondering if I can help my parents out with airline tickets for the holidays is making me crazier.

What’s NOT making me crazy? Watching House republicans blame Pelosi’s ‘tone’ for their nay vote and watching House dems blame partisan bickering. Nope. That’s not making me crazy, it’s just making me mad.

I don’t know if this bail out bill was the answer. I do know I want the asshats in DC to SHUT UP and fix this mess. Now.

Even if that means they have to share and play nice.