Prop One: A Trojan Horse of Epic Proportions

I was interviewed last week by the New York Post about an extremely important issue…a proposed amendment to our Constitution here in New York which is called “Proposal Number One” (aka “Prop One”). Though it is a statewide, New York ballot initiative (meaning it will be on the ballot for every New Yorker to vote on across the State), its consequences (if it passes) will undoubtedly ricochet across the nation. In other words, if we don’t stop it here, now, then it’s going to pass, and then it will come to your state sooner or later.

How am I sure of that? Well, firstly because historically speaking, radical policies that begin in New York tend to have a ripple effect once they take hold here. And secondly, because this proposed amendment is a Trojan Horse of epic proportions, meaning it’s not at all what the left is saying it is. As they so often do, they dress it up in word salad style so that you don’t know what it actually means. The Archdiocese in New York has come out against this proposed amendment, and the Catholic Conference including Cardinal Dolan, calls it a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

The radical politicians who thought this up are the same who gave us radical, failed policies such as No-Cash-Bail, Clean Slate, Raise the Age, and Congestion Pricing. They are selling Prop One as an “Equal Rights Amendment” that will protect abortion in New York, though none of those words actually appear on the ballot. Nonetheless, when you read it, it sounds “fair” – I mean who doesn’t want equal treatment for all? But in reality, if it passes, it will not give anyone any new “equal rights” since all the categories in there are already protected under our NYS laws. However, what it will do is weaken your rights, and further empower the radical politicians who run our government. Here’s how…

Let’s start with what language you’ll actually see on your ballot (either at the bottom or on the back of the ballot). This is the introductory language:

Amendment to Protect Against Unequal Treatment

This proposal would protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. It also protects against unequal treatment based on reproductive healthcare and autonomy.

A “YES” vote puts these protections in the New York State Constitution.

A “NO” vote leaves these protections out of the State Constitution.

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Then after that, you will see the actual proposed change to our Constitution which will read as follows:

Concurrent Resolution of the Senate and Assembly proposing an amendment to section 11 of article 1 of the constitution, in relation to equal protection

Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That section 11 of article 1 of the constitution be amended to read as follows:

§ 11. a. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any subdivision thereof. No person shall, because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy, be subjected to any discrimination in [his or her] their civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the state, pursuant to law.

b. Nothing in this section shall invalidate or prevent the adoption of any law, regulation, program, or practice that is designed to prevent or dismantle discrimination on the basis of a characteristic listed in this section, nor shall any characteristic listed in this section be interpreted to interfere with, limit, or deny the civil rights of any person based upon any other characteristic identified in this section.

   §  2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendment be submitted to the people for approval at the general election to be held in the year 2024 in accordance with the provisions of the election law.

Explanation – Matter in underscored is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted.

Sounds warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it? 

It’s not!

If Prop One passes, it will unleash a massive tidal wave of chaos upon our citizenry, our norms, and what we hold dear in our society. In other words, life as you know it will no longer be the norm. If Prop One passes it can lead to:

• the weakening of your parental rights and giving the government control of your children (which is already happening in schools across the State thanks to this outrageous and unconstitutional “guidance” the Department of Education issued last year); 
• making New York a permanent sanctuary state where illegal immigrants (including criminals) can’t be deported; 
• opening the door for non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, to claim a constitutional right to receive the same taxpayer-funded benefits that citizens receive (like government assistance, medicare, social security, disability compensation, subsidized health care, etc.) and could eventually include the right to vote (see my X post on that HERE);
• abolition of girls’ sports and female spaces like women’s locker rooms, bathrooms, showers, dormitories, prisons, etc. (see my X post on that HERE);
• abolition of single-sex spaces such as high schools, colleges, clubs, organizations, etc.; 
• the chilling of free speech (see my X post on that HERE); 
• the legalization of reverse discrimination (see paragraph b of Prop One noted above).

Defeating Prop One:

A terrific cartoonist, Anne Gibbons, has been creating insightful drawings about Prop One. Here’s one of her latest cartoons which captures the Trojan Horse element of this anti-American proposed amendment:

Republished from the author’s Substack