R-71 (Washington residents)

[wrog]

someone posted this with comments turned off, so I'll reply here since this is generally worth knowing (even if you don't live in WA, your state's referrendum system may be similarly braindead...)

One of the biggest deceptions the [religious conservative asshats] are peddling, one of the strongest tools they have to get you to do what they want is the language of the referendum (Referendum 71 BTW) that requires that the state vote FOR it in order to maintain the status quo. Their opponents need to vote FOR their piece of shit referendum in order to defeat their true goal.

Let me rephrase that.

If Referendum 71 gets on the ballot in order to maintain current partnership rights for everyone in Washington State, people need to vote YES.

While the anti-GLBT folks blatantly lie about lots of stuff, this particular matter is not a deception, or at least, it wasn't their idea. It's actually a (mis)feature of how the Referendum system works in Washington state, i.e., every Referendum is like this: proponents are required by law to phrase it so that upholding the action of the legislature is a yes vote. Thus,

• If you like the law as it was passed, you do nothing and if someone offers you a petition to put it on the ballot you make sure you don't sign it. But if it does make it to ballot, then you have to vote YES to keep the law in place.
• Conversely, if you don't like the law, then it's sign-but-then-vote-no.

which of course completely violates the principle that "no" votes on initiatives/etc shouldn't be changing the status quo, but there you have it.

Comments

R71

[(Anonymous)]

I have 2 degrees from college and I didn't get the wording of this AT ALL when it first was presented. Oh man...this is scary..the religious right have NO RIGHT to take basic human rights away!!!!

Re: R71

[(Anonymous)]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!