All five ballot measures pass
There’s no doubt that with the way statewide ballot measures are worded, it’s pretty darn hard to figure out what in the world they’re trying to say. We did our best to educate ourselves on what we were voting on but must admit that some things were still a bit confusing.
Apparently, there are some damn good writers out there because our state was solidly sold…on every single issue. Wow.
Amendment #1 (Constitutional wording) : Passed.
According to the results, Arkansans are cool with removing the word “idiots” from the state constitution. For us, it was hard to form a solid opinion about that one so we aren’t real surprised that it passed.
Amendment #2 (Legislature Sessions): Passed.
It appears as though most of the state would rather have annual legislature sessions which will result in more checks and balances on our Democratic leaders. Since most of The Natural State supported a McCain/Palin ticket, though, this one’s not too shocking.
Amendment #3 (State Lottery): Passed.
With Arkansas still being a red Southern state, how in the world did we manage to pass a lottery amendment? Ah forget it, who cares? This was badly needed and a lot of folks will be getting a better education because of it. Big props to Lt. Governor Bill Halter for working his tail off on this one.
Initiative Act #1 (Anti-gay Adoptions): Passed.
On one hand, we’re not surprised that our mostly Republican state is anti-gay. However, since this act won’t hurt gay people nearly as much as it will hurt needy children who have no place to call home, it seems as though our family value-based conservative Arkansans are less interested in creating loving families than they’re letting on. We’re supposed to be moving forward as time goes by…not backwards, y’all. Did any county besides Washington and Pulaski get this one right?
Referred Question #1 (Water Bonds): Passed.
Water bonds. What the heck are they? We’ll be honest with you. We have no idea. With Governor Beebe behind this one, we figured it was a safe bet to go ahead and pass it. Apparently that wasn’t necessarily the wisest assumption seeing as our governor voted against the lottery.
Anybody else surprised by the seemingly inconsistent votes? Anybody else wishing they’d just left a couple of these blank?
Here’s hoping that the upcoming lottery will help educate a few of those unfortunate Arkansans who still believe that hate is a family value.
Comments
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By Cole on November 5th, 2008
well, as happy as you seem about the lottery, from what I hear about the OK and MO lotteries the money already distributed to education was rerouted and the lottery money took its place…leaving +/- the same budget for education, but effectively taking advantage of a loophole to hide a lie…
By OhDannyBoy on November 5th, 2008
What about the marijuana thing? Did that pass?
By George on November 5th, 2008
ODB – The marijuana decriminalization passed in dominating fashion. I believe it said 66% to 34% in the paper. If it works like the Eureka Springs one, they’re still going to arrest you for it. They’re just not going to try as hard to arrest you for it. It’s a start.
I for one am incredibly disappointed that Act 1 passed. What a selfish, ignorant thing to do to children in need. Does anyone think that the way it was worded confused some people? Maybe they thought they were voting for unwed adoption by voting “YES”. I don’t know. I’m just trying like hell to believe that my Arkansas peers wouldn’t intentionally do this. Sometimes I get a reality check. This one was a full-body check, head first into the boards.
By Boggy Creek Creature on November 5th, 2008
In re Act 1: Politics will always lose to religion, especially in this state. Filling in the bubble for that one would be going against everything they’re being taught about the bible and, therefore, would be a damning act.
However, it will be interesting to see if those who voted for Act 1 will “put up or shut up” and organize families of legal couples to take in these kids.
By Angel Lust on November 5th, 2008
Boggy Creek: No. They won’t.
I do know many very religion driven families who take in quite a few foster children and do a very good job. You may see a small amount of money diverted to children’s services already in place. But on the whole, services to children focus more on recruiting future tithers.
By The Infidel on November 5th, 2008
Act 1 is a despicable and embarassing step backwards for this state. Are there any experts out there that know how to start getting this thing repealed? I’m looking on the internets for what would be required for getting the ball rolling, but I’m not having much luck. Disgraceful.
By Cole on November 5th, 2008
I agree, it’s horrible that the children have to suffer for that action. I wish they would have done that differently. Such as two parts: the first, rather than an act banning the adoption by unwed couples, first, an act FOR adoption by unwed couples (male female only) and second an act concerning the definition of said couple (male/female, same sex, or both). I have my own views on homosexuality that I hope won’t be judged here, but I think this would have helped the children and not risked a step in a direction I’m not willing to take yet. I especially hate that the entire country now sees arkansas as anti-children/pro weed…
By PekinOnU on November 6th, 2008
Cole is judging the merits of a gay family’s ability to raise a child. Let us not judge his astuteness as a wanker.
By Kyle on November 6th, 2008
A look at individual precints in Washington County shows that 45 precincts in Fayetteville voted against Act One, it tied in another Fayetteville precinct and voters approved it in one precinct. While I haven’t looked at every other precinct in the county, a quick examination has yet to find another precinct in the county that rejected the measure.
By Cole on November 6th, 2008
Pekin, while I don’t doubt their merits, I do worry about the effects of same sex parents on the lifestyle of the child. I also worry about certain situations such as what happens when 2 gay men are raising an adopted daughter and she reaches puberty…I don’t think that’s a good situation for the child. I’ve heard both sides of the argument, insulting me isn’t going to give me this huge revelation. Isn’t it up to all of us to set our moral boundaries? I’ve set mine. I won’t insult you for where you’ve placed yours.
By PekinOnU on November 6th, 2008
Cole, maybe it is immoral to judge the content of one’s character based solely on their anatomy? To say that two people aren’t apt to raise a child because their genitals don’t align as you would prefer them to degrades the value of the human bond and love that can exist between two people. Judge me on my parenting skills and the care I could give to my family, not because you find my choice of husband repulsive.
To your specific points….I am fairly certain that 2 gay men could adequately coach their daughter on issues of puberty just as well as married heterosexual couples and single parents. By your theory, if your wife died while your child was prepubescent, then you at that point lack the knowledge to adequately raise her and should be disqualified form caring for her. To presume that gay persons are not educated, or cannot educate themselves, on puberty issues is ridiculous. I may not have intimate knowledge of a women, but I can speak to a women’s biology and can certainly relate to women in a way many gender role-idealized men fail.
I also worry about the effects of your lifestyle on your child. Are you letting your child make their own decisions about god and what religion, or lack thereof, is right for them? Did you choose to be straight, and do you expect to coach your child to be straight? Are you cooking meth or have some obscene shoe fetish that your child might catch you indulging in? What makes you think, other than ignorance from inexperience with gay families, that we would be any less fit to raise a child?
By jones on November 6th, 2008
Well said, PekinOnU
By Cole on November 6th, 2008
Pekin, please, continue if you’d like, but I’ve made my decisions…I do not judge you, honestly, it’s none of my business to do so. This is a discussion about the action, not my position on gay marriage. It is my belief that the action could have been changed to make it better on all parties. That’s all I was trying to say. Sorry if I offended you, that wasn’t my intention.
By Kornedog on November 7th, 2008
Cole is right. I’m a girl about to go through puberty, and may I just say I’d much rather have spent my formative years bouncing around foster homes being repeatedly passed over by couples who were looking to adopt but really were searching for maybe something a little younger, maybe a nice asian baby. But then I thrive on instability and rejection, so …
You think I want a couple of damn gay dads teaching me to be gay like they were taught to be gay by God
knows who? Thanks, but no thanks. Ooo … sorry, I gotta run. Time to fill this mysterious black void deep inside me with some gateway drugs and possibly illicit sex with a fellow foster sibling. More later :)
xoxo
By PekinOnU on November 7th, 2008
Congrats, Cole, on your effort to stay misinformed (is Ronnie Floyd sitting on your shoulder?) rather than try to understand the people of this world better. I’ll join in…black people have no business running this country. Women should be cooking pot pies and thanking the bread-winner everyday with some personal meatplowing. Kids should speak only when spoken to, gays created AIDS, and Jesus loves his AK-47. Have I got’cha covered?
By Cole on November 7th, 2008
WOW! Alright guys, looks like I chose the wrong forums to add my opinion. By God! You guys sure know how to shoot a boy down…next time I think about throwin’ in my hat I’ll remember that this is NWA…Good ole’ boys need to pack it up and move on out!
By sofresh-n-sogay on November 7th, 2008
Your entitled to your opinion, as wrong as it may be, but if you are going to spout your opinion on a public forum, be prepared for a challenge. Or, really…American is no place for straight people! Get out!
By Total Bastard on November 7th, 2008
I have never really thought about how gays would be at raising children.
I guess I have thought more about how it would be difficult for a single parent to raise a kid, and probably moreso an adopted or foster kid.
I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like we should have made it harder for these kids to be in a home. I know somebody who tried to adopt and the checks they had to go through were exhaustive. I think the odds of a person with bad intentions towards children adopting are extremely slim already.
On the other hand, I would look at a single male adopting a child or having a foster child as something kind of odd. Of course most child molesters are what are what are considered to be “straight” males….
By sofresh-n-sogay on November 8th, 2008
bastard, Yep…people intending to adopt get screened better than Sarah Palin. If only the same could be done for the breeders like Cole who can’t raise a female child.
By Schleuss on November 10th, 2008
Did the spell-check fly out the window on this one? Deer lawd, peeple!
Cole, I think it’s great that you can form an argument about the matter in a cool and collected way. Major props to that.
I’m not sure I specifically agree with you, but that’s quite fine. Keeps me from becoming to closed minded.
Any-who, I’d like to go out on a limb and call the passing of this amendment rather amazing. Think about the conservative viewpoint here. Marriage (man, woman); family (man, woman raise child). Rather interesting all around.
I voted against the measure because I have a different opinion on the matter, but still. It’s relying on some pretty strict conservative values. Flawed, nevertheless, considering Arkansas (namely NWA) has one of the highest divorce rates in the country. [http://www.4029tv.com/news/17943842/detail.html]
Which really comes down to a flawed view of…reality. There wouldn’t be a lot of kids up for adoption if society was perfect. And it became imperfect long before any “gay” person ever stood up and pointed out their existence.
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On another note, I wonder if we could slip a gay marriage amendment on the ballot? Maybe it would pass too, since Arkansas is into passing right now. Anyone know how many signatures it would take?
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