There's a map

It shows where donations in support of Prop 8 came from -- specific locations, like homes and businesses. The reaction in some quarters, like the reaction to making such donations part of the public record, is interesting. One of Andrew Sullivan's readers writes:

I can only conclude that the practical intent of this map is to publicly shame and intimidate those who supported the amendment.

If my 26 employees, some of which are in civil unions (which were marriages), saw my name on this, how would they feel? What would they think of me? How would this impact our relationship? The really crappy thing is that I may not even know that I was listed or they looked. It would just begin one day with glares, stares, and tension. It would begin to create a hostile environment. Perhaps some folks may quit working for or with me. Perhaps someone may say something or perhaps not. What if I just opposed SSM but, in every other way, was progressive and supportive of gay rights in my public and personal life. Viewers of this map won't know that. All they know is that I gave $50.00 bucks and if I was foolish enough to list my business then all the better to make me a target. There is no call for conversation, dialogue, discussion, debate. Just an implied threat: support stuff like this and have your name posted in the town square for all to see.

This is all about publicly shaming, through the posting of names, folks who supported objectionable public policy.

Well, yes. That's exactly the point. Social shaming is one of the oldest methods societies have developed for maintaining cohesion in social ideals: those who violate the norms are held up to public ridicule. Think about the stocks in medieval and early Europe. Granted, that's rather old-fashioned, and we have better methods now: we do skits on SNL -- or we blog about them.

Sullivan's rejoinder is almost on point:

You can only shame people if they feel ashamed. And, frankly, if you have chosen to strip civil rights from some of your employees, why should you be able to protect yourself from the consequences?

As he notes in a prior post on this subject:

If Prop 8 supporters truly feel that barring equality for gay couples is vital for saving civilization, shouldn't they be proud of their financial support? Why don't they actually have posters advertizing their support for discriminating against gay people - as a matter of pride?

I'm with him on this one: if your gay employees begin to dislike and distrust you because you're against treating them like human beings, that's your problem. Maybe you should do some serious thinking.

After all, if you can't take the consequences of your beliefs, maybe you have the wrong beliefs.