Dark Christianity
dark_christian
.::: .::..:.::.:.

May 2008
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dogemperor [userpic]
Fraudulent Signatures for Gay Marriage Ban?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY [info]britzkrieg)

An anti-gay marriage petition circulated in Massachusetts has received a record number of signatures. But are they all legitimate?

Supporters of the ban said their effort shows that gay marriage is still a burning issue among thousands of voters, and legislators should pay heed.

"The people have not just spoken, they have shouted to let the people vote on the definition of marriage," said Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, which spearheaded the signature drive...

Opponents of the ballot question say the eye-popping number of signatories does not reflect a tidal wave of support for overturning the Supreme Judicial Court's landmark 2003 ruling that declared same-sex matrimony legal. Rather, they said, it shows that paid signature-gatherers were particularly effective at tricking unsuspecting voters into signing a petition they didn't support.

"This is a groundswell of fraud and deceit, not of voter insistence," said Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus.

Hundreds of Bay State residents complained to gay organizations and state officials this fall that they were duped into signing the antigay marriage measure when they thought they were backing a proposal to allow supermarkets to sell wine. The state Senate this year passed a bill outlawing paid signature-gathering, but the measure sits in the House with little prospect of success.
Read the full story here. I'm not sure I agree with the posting of signatories' names, addresses, etc. on the Internet.