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Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
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2008-09-30-11:29 - Google Supports Marriage Equality
I think I'll keep using gmail.As an Internet company, Google is an active participant in policy debates surrounding information access, technology and energy. Because our company has a great diversity of people and opinions -- Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, all religions and no religion, straight and gay -- we do not generally take a position on issues outside of our field, especially not social issues. So when Proposition 8 [the gay marriage ban] appeared on the California ballot, it was an unlikely question for Google to take an official company position on.
However, while there are many objections to this proposition -- further government encroachment on personal lives, ambiguously written text -- it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love. I wonder if the coming conservative boycott of Google will be as effective as the one they had against Disney? (When Disney granted "benefits to same-sex employees in domestic partnerships" the AFA ran a 9 year boycott. Disney held it's ground continued to be very profitable and eventually the AFA gave up.)
1 comment | >>let me tell you this about that!
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2008-09-30-12:39 - Invite: VP Debate Watching Party Thursday!
I'll be holding another debate watching party this Thursday and you should come! I'll be providing some snacks and drinks (wine numbs the pain), but feel free to bring stuff to share.Vice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, MO The debate starts at 9:00pm EST so try to arrive between 8:30 and 9:00. We have Tivo to pause the action and kibitz. Though I do ask you not to throw things at the TV.
I'll also take this opportunity to make a prediction. There have been an amazing number of "leaks" about how Palin isn't ready for the debate. I'd like to suggest that these "leaks" are intentionally being made to lower expectations. I expect a mediocre performance by Palin followed by pundits everywhere declaring her a winner for not convulsing and speaking in tongues during the debate.
The big unknown is will she try to be sweet or will she try to be a dick. History would tend to favor the dick outcome. However, the way the McCain campaign has been flailing the last couple weeks it is hard to predict their behavior. I hope Biden is prepared to deal with both "Miss Congeniality" and the "Pitbull with lipstick."
1 comment | >>let me tell you this about that!
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