Mormon Carpetbagger Politics?

In the Hawaiian legislature there is currently a bill to allow civil unions for same sex couples. HB444 would allow civil unions in the state of Hawai'i. Most importantly the HB444 would offer the same benefits as marriage for the partners of the civil union...

-9 Same benefits, protections, and responsibilities as marriage. Partners to a civil union lawfully entered into pursuant to this chapter shall have all the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities under law, whether derived from statutes, administrative rules, court decisions, the common law, or any other source of civil law, as are granted to spouses in a marriage validly entered into pursuant to chapter 572

As far as I am concerned any people who have made a life commitment to each other and formed a family should be able to gain the legal protections and benefits that our society offers to married couples. This protect the partners and any children that are being raised within that family. Marriage may be a hot button issue with people who have a religious conviction, but civil unions at least offer the legal advantages that nurture a family.

I may have no personal desire to be part of a gay marriage, but I do not enforce my personal values on others. There are people who are not so moral. It seems that interests from outside Hawai'i are getting involved as passing this legislation becomes a real possibility. Most notably and unsurprisingly members of the Mormon Church (also known as the Church of Latter-Day Saints). They have setup an attack website with the very Hawaiian URL of www.protectourkieki.com. (No, I will not link to it and give it better Google ratings).

But a simple bit or research clearly shows where this attack is coming from. Just check the domain registration in a whois and you find out that the website is registered on Orem, Utah!

Registrant Info: (FAST-12785240)
Attn: protectourkeiki.com 1,500 GB Storage and 15,000 Monthly Bandwidth.
BlueHost.com- INC
1215 North Research Way Suite #Q 3500
** FREE DOMAIN REGISTRATION **
Hosting plans starting at ONLY $6.95 per month -
Orem, Utah 84097
United States
Phone: +1.8017659400
Fax..: +1.8017651992
Email: whois@bluehost.com
Last modified: 2008-04-03 22:35:44 GMT

- Whois data retrieved 15 Feb 2009 through GoDaddy (who also hosts DarkerView)

An intrusion into our state's politics and culture mounted by religious interests from Utah? Not surprising after what are probably the same groups had a hand in California Proposition 8 dealing with the same issues. The website is disgusting in it's direct attacks on a member of the Hawai'i state legislature, Clarence K. Nishihara (Dem). Also interesting in that the website uses only tiled graphics, there is no text. This means that search engines and other sites that search or archive the text can not do so. A clear sign that those who put the site together know what they are doing.

A repugnant example of outside interests interfering with a local political issue.

Hat tip to Rick at Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice & Sunsets for passing this on!