4 ms·

As a Mozilla employee that strongly supports the right of all persons to marry, let me be the first to say: who the hell cares? At the end of the day, what he

by daeken 15y ago

As a Mozilla employee that strongly supports the right of all persons to marry, let me be the first to say: who the hell cares? At the end of the day, what he believes doesn't matter to me or anyone else.

mmastrac 15y ago
I think something like this should be relevant. Social pressure is a good way to encourage someone to discard outdated beliefs like this. If he had donated $1000 to a fund opposing inter-racial marriage, or to a fund opposing voting rights for a class of citizens, would you still feel the same way?
- ahoyhere 15y ago
  If he had donated $1000 to a fund opposing inter-racial marriage… Bravo. This is exactly the argument we should make. If he had donated to pass an anti-miscegenation law, we would all know it was wrong. You're free to believe whatever you want. You're free to believe men and women marrying men and women is wrong. You're free to believe that whites marrying blacks is wrong. It IS supposed to be a free country. But when you donate to pass a law about it, it changes from belief to infringement on rights.
- TNO 15y ago
  "...outdated beliefs..." I didn't know ethical decisions had an expiration date.
petercooper 15y ago
Recall the volley of stories about sexism in tech and the ensuing discussions on HN over the last couple of weeks. A lot of people on HN seemed to care about those and what those people believed. This is not to promote a particular viewpoint, other than.. well, it seems people do care about what other people's beliefs are, even on HN.
jjdsampson 15y ago
I sincerely don't see the problem. I think those opposed to Prop 8 should demonstrate a bit more tolerance to everybody who may not agree with them. Now if the $1,000 went towards Westboro Baptist Church, so that they could lash out and call people "faggots", then I would be a bit upset.
- hcatlin 15y ago
  You and I might disagree on tax policy... that's fine! We might disagree on flavors of ice cream too! We're still fine. But, when you say that I have no right to call my husband my husband. And the very idea that I have a loving relationship with him that the government might recognize and treat equally with a same-sex couple. That very idea prompts you to go google for "nom", then find the donation page, you then have to go get your wallet, you then have to fill out the form on the site, then you type in the credit card number (check it twice!), you then click donate. All of that action was precipitated by the very thought of me and my husband being married. Remember, Prop 8 happened after gay marriage was legal in California. I'm far less offended by Westboro, because they have no concept of what they are doing. They function in a crazy world that is separate from ours. To know that a fellow language inventor has such feeling about me... that is hard to describe... and is different than a normal political disagreeance.
  - petercooper 15y ago
    Maybe this is being overprecise and I share your viewpoint here, but singling out Brendan is perhaps best left until he shares his side of the story. This could be a mistake/error in accounting. I don't know how the US donation system works and if that's likely at all, but.. Of course, if it isn't a mistake, I totally agree. I just find something published by the LA Times to be.. well.. not a real guarantee of authenticity.
    - _pghu 15y ago
      Maybe he accidentally gave them money twice: http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1302592&session=2007&view=received&psort=NAME&page=5 http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx... http://puu.sh/nOlT http://puu.sh/nOlT
jsavimbi 15y ago
What's good for the goose is good for the gander. I have no interest in what another party believes, but when they actively contribute money and resources to legitimize discrimination and persecution against a group of people, I'll make it my business to work against them in the form of public shaming, boycott or financial contributions of my own to make it stop.
huskyr 15y ago
Eich is not just the inventor of Javascript, he's also the CTO of an organization that prides itself on being open and tolerant. I really can't support an organization where the CTO supports bills that cause the opposite.

by daeken 15y ago

mmastrac 15y ago

I think something like this should be relevant. Social pressure is a good way to encourage someone to discard outdated beliefs like this. If he had donated $1000 to a fund opposing inter-racial marriage, or to a fund opposing voting rights for a class of citizens, would you still feel the same way?

ahoyhere 15y ago
If he had donated $1000 to a fund opposing inter-racial marriage… Bravo. This is exactly the argument we should make. If he had donated to pass an anti-miscegenation law, we would all know it was wrong. You're free to believe whatever you want. You're free to believe men and women marrying men and women is wrong. You're free to believe that whites marrying blacks is wrong. It IS supposed to be a free country. But when you donate to pass a law about it, it changes from belief to infringement on rights.
TNO 15y ago
"...outdated beliefs..." I didn't know ethical decisions had an expiration date.

petercooper 15y ago

Recall the volley of stories about sexism in tech and the ensuing discussions on HN over the last couple of weeks. A lot of people on HN seemed to care about those and what those people believed. This is not to promote a particular viewpoint, other than.. well, it seems people do care about what other people's beliefs are, even on HN.

jjdsampson 15y ago

I sincerely don't see the problem. I think those opposed to Prop 8 should demonstrate a bit more tolerance to everybody who may not agree with them. Now if the $1,000 went towards Westboro Baptist Church, so that they could lash out and call people "faggots", then I would be a bit upset.

hcatlin 15y ago
You and I might disagree on tax policy... that's fine! We might disagree on flavors of ice cream too! We're still fine. But, when you say that I have no right to call my husband my husband. And the very idea that I have a loving relationship with him that the government might recognize and treat equally with a same-sex couple. That very idea prompts you to go google for "nom", then find the donation page, you then have to go get your wallet, you then have to fill out the form on the site, then you type in the credit card number (check it twice!), you then click donate. All of that action was precipitated by the very thought of me and my husband being married. Remember, Prop 8 happened after gay marriage was legal in California. I'm far less offended by Westboro, because they have no concept of what they are doing. They function in a crazy world that is separate from ours. To know that a fellow language inventor has such feeling about me... that is hard to describe... and is different than a normal political disagreeance.
- petercooper 15y ago
  Maybe this is being overprecise and I share your viewpoint here, but singling out Brendan is perhaps best left until he shares his side of the story. This could be a mistake/error in accounting. I don't know how the US donation system works and if that's likely at all, but.. Of course, if it isn't a mistake, I totally agree. I just find something published by the LA Times to be.. well.. not a real guarantee of authenticity.
  - _pghu 15y ago
    Maybe he accidentally gave them money twice: http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1302592&session=2007&view=received&psort=NAME&page=5 http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx... http://puu.sh/nOlT http://puu.sh/nOlT

jsavimbi 15y ago

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. I have no interest in what another party believes, but when they actively contribute money and resources to legitimize discrimination and persecution against a group of people, I'll make it my business to work against them in the form of public shaming, boycott or financial contributions of my own to make it stop.

huskyr 15y ago

Eich is not just the inventor of Javascript, he's also the CTO of an organization that prides itself on being open and tolerant. I really can't support an organization where the CTO supports bills that cause the opposite.