“No on Prop 8:  Received a Message Under Cover of Darkness”

10/23/08, Sacramento Bee

Last night, as I curled up in bed with thoughts of sleep around 10 p.m., the dog began charging the front windows in the living room and barking with an urgency that clearly signaled something was very wrong.  As I hurried to the front room and peered through the blinds, I saw my two “No on Prop 8” yard signs and one “Obama” sign pulled out and hastily dropped in the yard.  Knowing this had happened moments before, I rushed into the night, unarmed, barefoot and in my nightgown to see who might be running for cover.  Upon inspection, I noted the “No on Prop 8” signs, one on each side of the yard had been slashed through the center sending a clear warning.  I stood on the sidewalk for a moment staring into the night to quell the fear that would keep me from replacing the signs.  Then, I replaced the tattered and slashed signs, hoping to the thoughtful observer it would send an even clearer message why writing into law a constitutional amendment that encourages this type of hatred,animosity, and discrimination against any of our citizens is a dangerous concept; Vote No on Prop 8.

Christine Hamel
Sacramento, California