The Great Shakeup, not just for earthquakes

So in about 20 minutes, I will have to run out of class and participate in some earthquake preparedness deal that is quite silly and a waste of money. It's like taking a practice test: No matter how hard you try to make the test feel like the real thing, its not, as it will not count against your grade in any way. I am blown away by the money spent to get this thing publicized.
On a similar note, I keep reading about how much money is being spent on the gay marriage ban and how much money will continue to be spent to attempt to overturn the ban and also to overturn the marriages that took place in California.
At work on Tuesday, a grad student from Turkey came to the office and wanted to ask an attorney some questions about the death penalty. Since the attorneys were all busy at the time, he asked if I would talk with him, so I figured I could take a few minutes to help him out. We talked about how I oppose the death penalty, but feel for families that grieve the loss of a loved one and feel a desire for justice. Talking about this really got me thinking. Many people that voted Yes on Prop. 8 were referred to as "deeply religious" or attempting to protect marriage. These same people tend to be pro-life and against abortion. Now, if deeply religious people who may call themselves Mormons or Christians are truly pro-life, why is the death penalty still used in this country? Look at states that use capital punishment and you will see a direct correlation to the amount of "deeply religious" people living there. I know scripture says "eye for an eye" but lets be honest here. People freak out over two people in love getting married, or a women choosing how to live her life, yet allow someone to be murdered right in front of them. There is so much hypocrisy with these "deeply religious" people. I have always had issues with this, even when I was younger and attending catholic schooling. I would constantly see people "faking" it, making this huge public scene that they are holier than though, yet once out of public eye, these people are the farthest away from christian moralists.
Frankly, deeply religious people scare me and make me feel uncomfortable. There is just something about people that have such a narrow view on reality and simply dismiss progress because it is not their "gods will". I remember seeing children walking around with their parents a few weeks ago wearing shirts that say "protect marriage and God's Law". These kids have no idea what they are walking around for, but these parents are clearly out of touch with what is going on in society. Gay people are treated as second class citizens in the country and it is time for change. Argue a slippery slope theory all you want, but those same arguments were raised when women wanted equal rights and when blacks wanted to be treated fairly. This is a civil rights issue and it is not going away. This is not about what you feel is right or wrong, this is about treating your neighbors fairly.