It came to my attention this morning that Modern Hiker was getting some Google Adsense advertisements for California’s Yes on 8 campaign — the ballot initiative that aims to eliminate the currently-existing right for same-sex couples to marry in the Golden State.
I sincerely apologize if anyone came to my web site looking for hikes and found that message on the sidebar. I do not in any way support an effort to enshrine discrimination in a constitution, and I think Yes on 8’s campaign has been one of the nastiest, misleading political efforts I have ever seen. Regardless of how you feel about gay marriage, singling out a single group to have its rights removed is wrong. That is not democracy. It’s Tyranny of the Majority.
Obviously, this is a hiking blog — not a political one. I highlight local environmental issues from time to time, and that’s as far as my political writing for Modern Hiker usually goes — but Yes on 8 forced my hand with this one.
Tomorrow is Election Day. It’s an important one, especially for Californians. Don’t skip casting your ballot — and when you’re done, go hit up a peak to celebrate our great democratic experiment.
Oh, and if Yes on 8 is smearing up your web site, fix it with these instructions.
… and because those other ads may still show up for a few hours, let it be known the following political links ARE endorsed by Modern Hiker:
Update: It’s also happening on Two-Heel Drive and Calipidder. Get out of our hiking blogs!
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I had the same thing happen on mine… I went into google’s setup and blocked that site (by the way it’s showing up on yours again on this individual entry.)
Yeah, it’s still on there right now. I went to Adsense and added that site as an exception, but it takes a few hours to go through. Honestly, I can’t wait any longer. Google Ads are coming off until the election is over. I can deal with losing the fractions of a penny I would otherwise get.
I pulled my Google ads earlier today for the same reason. I’m so used to seeing wholly contextual ads that it was a surprise to see a political campaign invade my site.
Checking with the terms & details on my adsense account I’m sure Google’s done nothing wrong here .. but it certainly feels like they’ve let us down.
It does, Stuart — especially since Google officially came out against the proposition, and even donated $140,000 to the No on 8 campaign.
I know Google’s a company and they make money first and foremost, but this seems like they could have taken one of their trademarked Principled Stances on this one — or at the very least given their AdSense subscribers a notice and chance to op-out.
Stuart: I saw your ads were gone and wondered about it. I’m gonna go see if the Hiker Hell guy is affected, he’s also in California, I believe.
Be careful! Save our Churches and vote NO on proposition 8! It’s OK to vote NO on 8
i owe all of you a heartfelt thanks for your quick work against this appalling tactic. many didn’t know the tips you found — but thanks to @calipidder i was able to spread the word in the campaign.
thanks again for your efforts.
Good on you!!! Google’s terms of service specifically forbid people running advertizements that are predicated upon hate and bigotry and yet they can’t hop on to advertizements that violate their rules quickly enough to stop it from happening.
I’m a hippie, good gods, and many of my friends are gay because I hang out with other hippies — LOL! But I’ve been married for something like 27 years and I’m not even remotely gay. Along comes this Mormon hate, millions of tax-free dollars being used to try to violate people’s human rights and civil rights in California, money that came from hate filled Christian bigots from Utah fucking with –our– California Constitution.
Why don’t they stay at home and deny “their” Negros the right to vote? Or deny black people to get married? Why do the hate mongers have to come here and spew their hatred?
Fortunately the hate mongers do this fairly often and they get smacked down because one can not volte to take the rights away from others, otherwise many Christian churches would vote to re-enslave Negros. The U. S. Constitute doesn’t work that way — at least it didn’t prior to “USA PATRIOT Act.”
Any way, good for you on keeping an eye on things and noticing it.