Yes On 8 Blowback

Some News:


SLTribune: "More than mischief: Are recent acts of church vandalism tied to bigotry?"
Recent Prop 8-related charges

Assault » A Torrance, Calif., man is charged with a felony hate-crime assault for allegedly using an anti-gay marriage lawn sign to attack a gay man wearing a "No on 8" button.

Vandalism » San Jose, Calif., police were called to a house in the southern part of town after homeowners reported their garage had been spray-painted with "No on 8" messages. The homeowners had signs on their lawn supporting the measure.

Theft » Police in a Sacramento suburb arrested three teens after finding 53 stolen "Yes on 8" signs in their car.

Vandalism » A Utah man reported his lawn sign, opposing the LDS church's role in politics, was set on fire outside his home near 900 East and 900 South.


SLTrib: "More than mischief: Recent activity on Proposition 8"
Highlights of recent proposition 8-related crimes:

Lansing, Mich. » Services at an evangelical church were disrupted by members of an extremist group called Bash Back! An affiliated group claimed it poured glue into the locks of an LDS church building near Olympia, Wash., and spray painted its walls.

Riverside, Calif. » Forty to 50 signs supporting Proposition 8 were found arranged in the form of a swastika on the front lawn of a Roman Catholic church.

San Luis Obispo, Calif. » Vandals poured adhesive on a doormat, key pad and window at two LDS churches and peppered a nearby Assembly of God church with eggs and toilet paper.

Sacramento » Ten area church buildings were vandalized, according to The Sacramento Bee.

Orangevale, Calif. » An LDS chapel sign and walkways were tagged with the phrases, "No on 8" and "hypocrites."

Arapahoe County, Colo. » The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office is investigating a case of a Book of Mormon that was set on fire and left burning on an LDS church's doorstep as a bias-motivated arson.

Wasatch Front » More than seven LDS churches have had glass doors shattered, six of them by BB gunshots.

LDS temples in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles » The temples, along with a Catholic Knights of Columbus printing press in Connecticut, all received packages with white powder substances in the mail.

Syracuse » A Syracuse Junior High seminary was evacuated after a mysterious letter was sent to the building

Weber State University » A plastic plant was lit on fire inside a Weber State University Institute building after an evening talk given by LDS Apostle Elder Boyd K. Packer.

Farmington » Farmington police are looking for a person who spray painted "Nobody is born a biggot" (sic) on a concrete wall outside an LDS church.

A Torrance, Calif.» A man is charged with a felony hate-crime assault for allegedly using an anti-gay marriage lawn sign to attack a gay man wearing a "No on 8" button

San Jose, Calif.» Police were called to a house in the southern part of town after homeowners reported their garage had been spray-painted with "No on 8" messages. The homeowners had signs on their lawn supporting the measure

Sacramento suburb » Police arrested three teens after finding 53 stolen "Yes on 8" signs in their car

Salt Lake City » A man reported his lawn sign, opposing the LDS church's role in politics, was set on fire outside his home near 900 East and 900 South

Sources: The Associated Press and Salt Lake Tribune reports

Some Opinions:
National Review's "Liberal Fascism" blog: "The Kulturkampf Reborn - This time it's Mormons."

To date, 30 states have voted on initiatives addressing same-sex marriage, and in every state traditional marriage has come out on top. But somehow the fact that Mormons got involved during the latest statewide referendum constitutes a bridge too far? In truth, Mormons are a target of convenience in the opening salvo of what is sure to be a full-scale assault on much of America’s religious infrastructure, which gay activists perceive as a barrier to their aspirations. Among religious groups, Mormons are not the biggest obstacle to same-sex marriage — not by a long shot. But they are an easy target. Anti-Mormon bigotry is unfortunately common, and gay-rights activists are cynically exploiting that fact.

There are no websites dedicated to “outing” Catholics who supported Proposition 8, even though Catholic voters heavily outnumber Mormons. And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is not remarkably strident in its beliefs on the subject. So far, no gay-rights activist has had the brass to burn a Koran on the doorstep of a militant mosque where — forget marriage! — imams advocate the stoning of homosexuals.