"Results of Prop 8" - Response to thread in the LDS forum

[DeepShadow]

Originally Posted by Mr Spinkles

Even though it should go without saying, it's worth emphasizing that some of the backlash against Prop 8 is clearly illegitimate, wrong or illegal.

I am disturbed by the website "eightmaps" which supposedly shows the addresses of everyone who donated to Prop 8 across the US.

I'd like to hear Mestemia and Spinkles discuss this, since they seem to be on opposing sides.

[DeepShadow]

Originally Posted by BalanceFx

Prop 8 is designed to take away the rights of others. Take away their liberty. Take away their equality. Force them into a second class citizen role. Regardless of your religious beliefs your Citizenship as an american should inspire you to stand up for freedom, to fight against oppression and hate filed agendas like Prop 8.

By doing what, exactly? In the past, people stood up against hatred and oppression using guns. Is that the best way to fight for freedom?

Prop 8 is hate.

Perhaps it is. I'm opposed to it, that's for sure, but what's the best way to fight back? That's the real question here.

[Storm]

Originally Posted by Mr Spinkles

Even though it should go without saying, it's worth emphasizing that some of the backlash against Prop 8 is clearly illegitimate, wrong or illegal.

I am disturbed by the website "eightmaps" which supposedly shows the addresses of everyone who donated to Prop 8 across the US.

Agreed, on all counts.

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by Mestemia

In my opinion, yes it is.

Why do you think that?

I personally find the publication of the names of small-scale campaign donors to be very disturbing and somewhat anti-democratic.

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

Why do you think that?

I personally find the publication of the names of small-scale campaign donors to be very disturbing and somewhat anti-democratic.

If you are only going to donate because no one will know you donated, perhaps what you are donating to is not good a thing?

[Storm]

Originally Posted by Mestemia

If you are only going to donate because no one will know you donated, perhaps what you are donating to is not good a thing?

I don't mind lists of names, for that very reason. But home addresses? What's the point of that? The only one I can see is encouraging people to harrass donators at their homes.

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by Mestemia

If you are only going to donate because no one will know you donated, perhaps what you are donating to is not good a thing?

Replace "donate" with "vote" in this statement and maybe you'll see the problem with it.

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by Storm

I don't mind lists of names, for that very reason. But home addresses? What's the point of that? The only one I can see is encouraging people to harrass donators at their homes.

Addresses?
OK, I just got done looking at eightmaps.com and I agree that posting the equivalent of their home addresses is going to far.

[Mestemia]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

Replace "donate" with "vote" in this statement and maybe you'll see the problem with it.

Nope.

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by Storm

I don't mind lists of names, for that very reason. But home addresses? What's the point of that? The only one I can see is encouraging people to harrass donators at their homes.

Nine times out of ten in this day of easily searchable data, a list of names would be all you'd need to find people's addresses anyhow.

Personally, I don't think the names of small donors should be public, period. IMO, the whole point of making donor rolls public knowledge is to find out whether anyone might be trying to buy influence. A $20 or $100 contribution to a political campaign will not do that.

I can see the need to require campaigns to report small contributions to the government - in many places, large donors will skirt the reporting rules by making many small donations instead of one large one so they avoid having to report it. However, once it's established that this isn't happening, publishing a list of everyone who donated $5 to a candidate or proposition campaign serves no valid purpose, IMO.