A crowd of Proposition 8 opponents chanted “No on 8” in an attempt to mute the voice of George “Brother Jed” Smock on Wednesday in front of the Cal State Long Beach University Bookstore.
The Women’s Studies Student Association (WSSA) along with other supporters began to protest against the afternoon rally, organized by the Conservative Student Union (CSU) in favor of Proposition 8. The chants of “No on 8,” were countered by Smock’s chants of “No on homo. No on Lesbo. Yes on 8,” and, “One nation under God, if you learn to trust in God you won’t be homo anymore.”
A wave of Proposition 8 opponents with chants, posters, flyers, skits and T-shirts rapidly dominated the scene.
“The rally has intimidated the voice of Prop 8 supporters because [dissenters] seem to get violent and vulgar at some point,” said Jason Aula, a senior business finance major and president of the CSU. “But it is a successful rally. It shows how low class CSULB opponents to Prop 8 are.”
Some protestors surrounded Proposition 8 supporters and chanted around them. Others silently lifted up posters. Two female students, Jordan Cornthwaite and Raina Pratto, chose to wear white dresses and veils to the protest.
“This is supposed to be a peaceful protest,” Aula said. One protestor directed his attention to Aula and proceeded to chant “No on 8” to his face. Aula responded with, “You’re an asshole,” and walked away.
One CSULB student who attempted to engage in a civilized dialogue with Smock said, “The Bible states love your God and your neighbor, how can you rationalize yes on 8 when you don’t love your neighbor?” said Lindsey Hicklen. “The rally is not successful. Both sides have preconceived ideas, no one wants to understand each other.”
Proposition 8 amends the California Constitution and defines marriage as being only between a man and a woman. It would overturn the California Supreme Court decision to allow same-sex couples to marry.
“I was brought up to see marriage between man and woman and I want it to stay that way,” said CSULB student Wendy Segura.
The 49er writers have a duty, more than the average student, to present the facts in their news reports. Unfortunately, the writers seem to advocate willful dereliction of duty with their shameless attempts to deflect blame away from their shoddy reporting and onto their own readers!
Writers, report the facts, don’t use weasel words or fall for Jason’s propaganda. There aren’t always two sides to an issue, and sometimes both sides are not equal.
In the case of Jason Aula and the CSU, this org is one of the smallest on campus and entirely unknown by the campus at large. There is no way to justify the disproportionate amount of attention the Daily 49er gives to CSU events or the group’s leader, the demagogue Jason Aula.
I’m not saying the 49er should never report on Jason’s events or even quote the man. But I believe it is lazy reporting when your reporters have Jason on call for every quote in response to a liberal event.
If we could all define rally for a moment… merriam-webster’s says: “a mass meeting intended to arouse group enthusiasm.” That’s exactly what this rally was.
But I know you can all google that yourself. The thing that really frightened me, was that the conservative students actually invited someone like “Brother Jed” to speak on behalf of their cause. He’s a radical extremist (redundancy necessary because he’s THAT ridiculous) who tells people that they’re all going to hell if they don’t accept Jesus Christ. He’s got a right to say whatever he wants, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t like being told I’m going to hell by a man in suspenders and a bow tie, shaking a prop skull in the air and singing “It’s not ok to be gay.” I personally believe giving that man a Yes on 8 sign will only help the other side of the argument.
As for the No on 8 side, they’re angry. Who can blame them? Basic human rights are at stake here, and in a secular nation, founded on the idea of separation of church and state, Christian ideals should NEVER be a governing factor.
This is an issue of human rights not religion.
(no on 8)
No No Homos marriage is between a man and woman only and it will stay that way now go and cry me a river
Well i was a the event and think this maybe a bit small, but have ANY of you EVER worked for a newspaper? I have and trust there is always limits to HOW MUCH you can write. Now with the limitation, do you know what her assignment was? Do you know if the writer is part of any organization (“GOOGLE JASON”)? That pretty ignorant to assume, since you do mention it as if she were in one.
Now Im not here to say what side I am on, rather in disgust by many of the replies…..instead of trying to toss rocks at the writer or Daily 49er, Why not mention your EXPERIENCE….obviously many of you were there!!!! Now I agree with (Mel) this is exactly what I saw. The article is very unbiased unlike some of you can’t read – the reference to Jason Aula (the host of the event) was perfectly portrayed. He puts himself in pedestal a and his action proofs how low he is (he is another topic). Moving on:
Passerby – WOW personal attack do you even know the writer? hmmm. Were YOU on drugs, cause I doubt the self-centered Hero of yours “Aula” would of mentioned how he cursed some one out, at what was suppose to be a fair “rally.”
just my 49cents in what is goin on……..Vote wise!
We didn’t have to vote so heterosexual couples could marry.
If the US constitution provides its citizens EQUAL protection under the law,
why should we have to vote so LGBT couples can?
NO on 8!
It is obviouse that peolpe will comment with out stoping to think what the reporter was actually assigned to report. Many of you seem to think this article is garbage, but in what way??? does it not summarize what happened that day? i was there, i saw all of this go down. For all of you talking S*** get your facts straight!
Yes, a domestic partner in California can adopt children (there are plenty of high-profile cases that prove that), can ride in the ambulance with their partner, visit them in the hospital and inherit property. I don’t know about a partner from another country. LGBT couples had these rights even before 5/15, so the issue really is the definition of the word marriage.
It seems as if both Yes and No 8 try to supress each others freedom of speech. As a no on 8 supporter at the rally many people on no on 8 were screaming like five years when we need to give both sides the chance to plea there case it is only fair.
Free speech is for all people. In this instance, the loudest voices had the most free speech. When you bring hatred to the public forum, be prepared to be rejected and expect the backlash. Otherwise, sing it in the shower.
You mean to say that LGBT couples can adopt children, ride in the ambulance with their partner, visit them in the hospital or inherit property? Can an LGBT U.S. citizen sponsor their “domestic partner” from another country, as can a hetero citizen. Equal rights means everybody is treated the same under the Constitution, yet gays are marginalized and denied their 14th Amendment right to “equal protection” because they absolutely DO NOT have the same U.S. citizen rights as opposite sex couples. No on Prop 8 to give equal access.
I am the editor of the opinions section, Jen, not the news section. But thanks for the promotion.
-Peace
This will eventually become a referendum on Jason Aula’s judgment and temperament for bringing these people on campus, as well as the other shady activities that he has done in the past to attempt to silence others’ free speech.
Unfortuantely No on 8 supporters had to turn to personal attacks and swearing to intimidate other 8 supporters at the rally. There were far more than the handul of supporters claimed by the No on 8 crowd. I am sorry you efforts are unsuccesful but, the right will prevail on campus the monoply at CSULB is over! Anytime a conservative disagrees with a liberal idea such as gay marriage or illegal immigration it is hate, racism, or bigotry hence liberals are the most intolerant people I have come in contact with at CSULB. Why cant the liberals on campus respect that I am not rascist or a bigot I just believe marriage is between a man and woman and illegal immigration in my eyes is a matter of law not race?
Yes and please do google Jason Aula because the little blog is lacking class and it is obvious my opponents have created this because they have to much time on there hands or just have no valid arguments. Your efforts are futile…..
I will see you at my next event The President’s Forum On La Raza and Racism in November some old friends will be there…..
What happened people? I was expecting to read how there were about eight of the yes o 8 people and hundreds of people against it. Because that is what happened. I stopped reading the Union for this reason and it seems like I might start having to stop reading this too. Isn’t Duke Rescola supposed to be editor? I can’t believe he let this garbage his the front page.
It is unfortunate that a couple of extreme people on campus appear to be the public face of the proponents of Proposition 8. I hope everyone realizes that, as the polls indicate, there are many supporting the measure that are just normal people that feel the term “marriage” should not be redefined. They are not against equal rights because, even before the May 15, 2008 ruling, domestic partnerships had all the rights of married couples. This is not about hate . . . it is about disagreement of changing the definition of a term that has been important for thousands of years.
It would seem most scholarly for students to actually undermine the statements made by Brother Jed. Instead the voices of reason which could have showed him wrong were drowned out by our peers with megaphones. How can a democratic discourse occur if both sides are not represented? This prevents us from proving those like Jed wrong, and leaves our position open for being disorganized and poorly founded on democratic principles. We cannot abandon the idea of free speech to show people they are wrong. This is antithetical to the end game. We must show them through speech that their ideas are unpopular and invalid. This does not legitimize their views, but rather allows us to destroy the premises on which they are founded. Holding a shouting match is just childish, and not constructive within the process of winning an argument. We must engage in a mature discourse if we wish to prevail.
Wow, Karen Ortiz, what drugs were you on while you were reporting this? Did you write this at the Nugget? It almost looks like Jason Aula helped you report the event. Pitiful.
Sadly, whether Prop 8 passes or fails, the forty niner will seek out Aula for a comment after the election. It almost makes me ill to claim I’m a conservative when your staff panders to this low life piece of poser crud. Since I can’t stand the other crappy campus paper, I guess I will rely on my own vision.
Those who were at the demonstration will open this story and wonder WTF!!!! Since when did an opinionated statement like “attempted to engage in a civilized dialogue with Smock” enter the domain of neutral reporting? Unfortunately for the D49er, more than one person will see through this thinly veiled attempt at news coverage. Teach your staff writers to stay out of the story!
Today the D49er seems more like a mouthpiece for student orgs, uncritically promoting their events, than a proper newspaper. The writers don’t even bother attending the events anymore; they just ask the student organizers how successful they thought their events were!
Wake up, D49er, that’s not reporting, that’s lazy printing of rumors and hearsay.
This seems like it was written in a void. Doesn’t the Daily 49er realize how shallow this reporting is and that there was a large audience in attendance; one that will assuredly read this crap and never pick up your paper again? I definitely won’t, not on campus and not online. You guys suck. Whatever happened to dedicated journalism? It left the campus, except at the Union.
Your Name speaks the truth. The Daily 49er has officially given in to the right wing lunatics! Surprisingly, all it took was persistent cries of media bias and empty lawsuit threats from one individual, Jason Aula.
Is the Daily 49er so afraid of the insect Aula, that it will promote his events at the expense of truth, reason and honest reporting? He’s a self-promoting, bigoted, big-headed extremist. Pay no attention to him and he’ll go away! Continue quoting him as if he’s a credible official on right wing views, and he’ll continue his hateful rhetoric.
It’s too bad this story is about Jason Aula and not the real event. Was the reporter even there? It sure doesn’t sound like it. Around six CSU members showed up to hear Bro’ Jed’s spiel, yet the story is slanted to make it look like the protest was merely a backdrop for Jason’s contemptuous presentation. It’s evident the 49er reporter was either lax or biased because the only quotation from Jed was the same tired, silly song he tortured his small audience with last week. Copy/paste is not reporting D-niner. It’s laziness!!!! You’re as pitiful as Aula and his fellow fruit flies. Come out of the closet and report the facts, not the staged rhetoric.
Once again, the 49er seems to find Aula as the only quotable source. He no doubt owns stock in the student newspaper. At least maybe they’ll crumble and leave him penniless. It’s the only reason he stages these pseudo events, to get his name in the paper. This little paperhanger follows the same strategy as that little peon with the block mustache in 1930s Germany; propaganda, hate mongering and smear. It was wonderful to watch him running around like a chicken trying to get his picture taken. “Take my picture, quote me,” the little Nazi was begging. Shame on those on the niner who bit. Shame on you!!!!!