Department of Finger Pointing, Prop 8 sub-office:  Yes, they're still counting the votes in California (about 2.1 million votes are still uncounted as of the latest figures), but barring a miracle Proposition 8 -- removing the right to marry from same-sex couples -- will become part of the California constitution.  So, of course, it's time to lay blame and assign responsibility for the passage of this measure.  Let's see who the suspects are:

African-American voters.  While they make up about 7% of the state's population, they made up about 10% of the voting electorate this year.  African-American voters supported Prop 8 by roughly 70%.

Latino voters.  35% of the state population, 18% of the voters.  Latinos supported Prop 8 by roughly 53%.

The Mormons.  Reports vary, but roughly $20 million dollars were contributed by Mormons nationwide to the supporters of Prop 8.  

The Catholics.  The second largest religious group in terms of financial support, the Catholics (and Catholic-related organizations like the Knights of Columbus) contributed roughly $1.4 million.  Through what is alleged to be a strategic alliance with the Mormons, the Catholics presented a "familiar face" to those religious groups favoring Prop 8.

The "Yes on 8" people.  The wording of Proposition 8 did nothing but define "marriage" as the union of one man and one woman.  Pro-8 advertisements warned that churches refusing to perform same-sex marriages would lose their tax-exempt status, and that young children would be taught about homosexuality in school.  Both of these arguments were false, but it shifted attention away from the issue of using the state constitution to remove rights already defined by the courts as existing and towards issues that figured nowhere in the proposition's wording.

The "No on 8" people.  Ads were focus-grouped and tested to a fare-thee-well, and because of that relied heavily on arguments of fairness and equality.  All well and good, but the personal stories of those who would be affected by Prop 8 -- gay and lesbian couples and families, especially those whose relationships had existed for years or even decades before same-sex marriage was recognized as a right -- were not used.  The humanizing face that might have made a difference in the results didn't test well, or was thought to have a potential negative effect, and so was discarded.  Also, a heavy push for educating voters on what Prop 8 meant and why it should be defeated was not done.

So what's to be done?  Plenty.  Garden State Equality uses a phrase:  "All Roads to Justice".  That's what's needed in California now.  Go to the courts.  Go to the legislature.  Put forth the effort to educate.  Stage protest marches and rallies.  Block access to Mormon temples (which for now has the effect of blocking Mormons from marrying within their church rules).  Use your indoor voices and your outdoor voices.  Be imaginative, be persuasive.  Do something.

But there are things not to be done.  Do not smash property, even if it belongs to one of the opponents of same-sex marriage.  Do not think that all Mormons, or all Catholics, or all African-Americans, or all Latinos are "the enemy" -- there's plenty of evidence of members of all these groups who actively and passionately supported our right to marry.

The goal is attainable.  This is only a temporary setback.  It took some 58 years for "separate but equal" to be thrown out as a basis for discrimination by race.  It hasn't even been two decades that same-sex marriage has been a major issue.  It'll take work, lots of it, sometimes un-glamorous.  But the goal will be reached, because we've been to the mountaintop.