Opponents point out that such an amendment could deny rights to children whose parents are divorced or unmarried, such as health care and hospital visitation, and could invalidate domestic violence protections, while proponents of the amendment see it as the most effective way to protect traditional marriage.
As this is a state election and state elections usually have lower voter turnout, a large portion of campaign funds from both parties is allocated to raising awareness and attempting to get voters to the polls. According to the North Carolina Board of Election, Vote for Marriage NC has raised just $1.2 million compared to the $2.3 million combined worth of the two anti-amendment PACs. 75 percent of Vote For Marriage NC's funds come from three large donors (one being the Catholic Church) whereas for the opposition group, only 30 percent of its funds came from the top three donors. The role of national interest groups in this matter, such as the Human Rights Campaign and the National Organization for Marriage, further exemplifies that idea that a decision made in ones state can inspire similar actions across the country, or make other states less likely to try such a measure if the amendment fails.
In this way, North Carolina is serving as a laboratory of democracy. Advocates of traditional marriage, regardless of their state residency, can donate to the groups supporting the amendment, so that one can see how the amendment will be implemented and applied, and use the text of the amendment as a framework for similar policies in other states. Yet opponents of the amendment can also contribute funds in order to help decrease the probability of the amendment passing so that the policy will not be reproduced in other states. Jon Stryker, a wealthy Michigan man, has contributed to the group opposing the North Carolina amendment as well as group who opposed California's Proposition 8 for this reason.
At this point, it seems that the groups opposing the amendment have the upper hand, as they have both more individual donor contributions and more funds overall, yet more must recognize that although dollars can measure the intensity of support, they do not necessarily directly convey ballot box results, and it is ultimately up to the voters to turn up at the polls on Tuesday and make the decision. Rate this posting:
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