“In every country and every age, the priest has been hostile to Liberty.”
-Thomas Jefferson

Equality will ultimately win out. Last night’s passing of Prop 8, against the backdrop of Barack Obama’s resounding win, is bittersweet. Let’s face it; California voted to take away people’s rights last night. It’s one of the most horrible things I can imagine. In my mind, being against equality is not only anti-American, it’s treasonous. It is the exact opposite of why our country was founded on the first place.

In retrospect, it seems the No On 8 campaign lost the battle when they weren’t able to get out in front early and define the message. You say “Proposition 8 changes our constitution to make hateful discrimination legal”, and nobody votes for it. Nobody wants to vote for something that makes them feel they are a bigot, a racist, a hater or discriminator.

It’s a lot like Proposition 2, which cruised to victory last night (yes!). Even if you’re a rib-loving, porterhouse-addicted carnivore who drinks ground beef, nobody wants to be the person voting to hurt animals. No fear-mongering regarding imported chickens from Mexico — or whatever the hell those No On 2 ads were about — is going to change that.

Yes On 8, sadly, framed the issue first with their message: Not voting for Prop 8 would result in marriage being redefined.

It didn’t matter that Prop 8 losing, in truth, would have redined nothing. It didn’t matter that Prop 8 passing is the situation that will now in fact result in a redefinition being put forth. And it doesn’t matter that the logical and clear-eyed among us see nothing wrong at all with marriage being between both man and woman, man and man, and woman and woman.

Nor, apparently, does it matter, that the group behind the Yes On 8 campaign was the Mormon Church, with most of their money coming from Utah. Yes, California, you got played by a bunch of people that don’t even live here.

Court cases will soon follow, no doubt, and it will be curious to see the path the Quest For Common Equality takes.

But to everyone that is torn by what happened last night, remember what our new President-elect said. The work does not stop here. All of the community organizing, the hard work, the donations, and the countless hours by countless individuals investing themselves in their own futures for the first time, allow us an opportunity.

We now know how to be involved. How to be informed. How to take action — through conversation, through sharing art, media, fiscal resources, time; all of it.

The great lesson of Barack Obama’s win is not that one man was better than the rest of us, and he’s now going to change the world. It is that each and every one of us as individuals, acting in unison with one another, can shape our own common destiny. Together, we can achieve what conventional wisdom says is impossible.

It’s not that different from the entrepreneurial mentality, to be honest. A cause is a small business, and you help it grow with hope, faith, time, love, and energy. The Great Empowerment of both the Left and the Right are not that far apart, truth be told.

So today begins a new task, a new journey. A new challenge, for each of us to remain involved. Focused. Cognisant of the world around us, and to never let ourselves fall into that passive slumber so many of us had previously embraced.

The fight for the future of our country — and for Equality — begins anew today.

Update: It’s already beginning. No On 8 Protest Rallies tonight in California.

Now… it’s time to really get to work.

I don’t care what side of the aisle you are on.  The best kinds of policy proposal transcend party, race, gender, and ideology, and set their sights on a more unified America.  One we can all get behind, and be proud of.

Clearly, Barack Obama understands this:

“I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams — the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a National Champion,” Obama said.

Seriously, America. What more do you need?

Wake up at 4:45?

Check.

Spend an hour calling Virginia voters at the Obama phonebank in Century City?

Check.

Voting?

In progress.

Update: Done and Done.

Oh, and in case any California voters were still wavering…

I’ve had enough of people in Washington ignoring the needs of Americans.

I’ve had enough of people telling me that to preserve my freedom I need to give up my individual rights.

I’ve had enough of people questioning my love of America.

I’ve had enough of people telling me I don’t believe in the right God hard enough.

I’ve had enough of people trying to tell my girlfriend what she can do with her body.

I’m had enough of people giving big companies incentives to ship our jobs overseas.

I’ve had enough of people lying to me so they can hold on to power they don’t deserve – and thinking I won’t notice.

I’ve had enough of people trying to tell me and my friends who we can and can’t love.

I’ve had enough of being told to wait for the trickle down. The trickle’s not coming.

I’ve had enough of people making it easier for the rich, and ignoring everybody else.

I’ve had enough of people trying to disenfranchise voters in Ohio, Florida, and each and every state across this nation.

I’ve had enough of people voting because they like the idea of somebody, instead of liking somebody’s ideas.

I’ve had enough

of each and every one of us

not getting the shot

at the American dream

that we deserve.

America?

We all love you

And now is our time.

Tomorrow,

Vote For Change.

It’s time to say

ENOUGH