I believe in the sanctity of the vote. My vote is my vote. Personally, I will tell you exactly for whom I vote and why, were you to ask (or care!). But I don’t believe you should be forced to tell. Donations, on the other hand, need to be transparent.
Right-wing organizations that benefited from the massive cash infusion that helped to win the passage of California’s Propostion 8 are now claiming to be concerned for the well-being of their donors. David Hauslaib, in Queerty, today writes,Â
By donating money to fight Prop 8, these individuals were voluntarily adding their names to public records. They knew, before they signed a cheque, that their names were going to be added to a public tally of who donated to strip away the rights of Californians. And if they didn’t know? Perhaps they should’ve asked questions about where their money was going before following every demand of the Mormon Church.
The records are already out there. If anti-gay marriage organizations like Protect Marriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage California are concerned about the health and well-being of their donors, perhaps they need to work more closely with law-enforcement. I don’t know anyone who condones this violence, but it is minimal at best and is a law-enforcement issue, not a voting issue. (Note, they are worried about their donors, not necessarily their members. It’s always about the money.)Â
The law should not be changed to allow people to hide. We need transparency now, especially now. If you don’t believe in your opinion, if you don’t think your contribution is worth putting your name on it, why make it? I don’t know about you, but I sign everything I write.