Why I voted and so should you

I voted today and I think you should too. There are so many important decisions to be made and if you can't spend an hour voting I think you should really reevaluate your lifestyle. 

I know that Obama will win California and I know that a lot of people think that this is a good reason to skip voting. Now off the top of my head I can tell you two reasons why this is stupid. 

No. 1, if enough people think that Obama is going to win and don't bother to vote, McCain will actually have a chance. McCain supporters are definitely all out voting today so don't let 2004 happen again. If you really think that California is completely democratic look at the election results by county. See all that red in the interior and down South? Those are republicans. We outnumber them, but a higher percentage of them actually vote.

No. 2, and probably more importantly, that isn't the only thing on the ballot! What about proposition 8? 10? These all have to do with your civil rights, the environment and your tax dollars! 

Now I have to speak out a little about prop 8. I have seen so many ads all over the internet, in grocery stores, and even people walking down the street with signs. I don't care what your stance on gay marriage is this is about equality. I don't care if you are straight, if you are gay, if you have gay friends and family, or if you're a total homophobe! These are people we are talking about! People that are lucky enough to have love and now our government is going to discriminate against it? Separate but equal does not work. Read Brown vs. the Board of Education. Separate institutions of marriage are inherently unequal and a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the United States. 

By voting no on prop 8 I am protecting families. Families that love each other, raise children together, and want to grow old together. My final thoughts on the matter; if you don't support gay marriage don't have one. Don't take away such an important moment in someone else's life.