The California gay community has some of the strongest legal power in the country over their right to marry, however they have been dragged back and forth through the dirt more times than in any other state. The legal right for them to marry has been given to, and taken back from them, around six times. Five of which have been since 1977.
It is great to see that Apple and Google have stepped up to the plate in opposition to Prop 8. But let's be honest, it is quite sad that they even have to.
Prop 8 in essence does the same thing that Prop 22 did back in 2000. Prop 22 was found to be unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court in May 2008. So just why are we going in circles? Should we expect that if Prop 8 gets passed on the ballot next month that the supreme court will come around in the next eight years and also find it unconstitutional? It seems as though at some point we need to draw the line on wasting all this time and money.
It is in my opinion that this is an issue best left for the Supreme Court. Obviously I have a biased view as I am supportive of gay couples right to marry, but the purpose of the Court system is better suited for this kind of decision. Voter initiatives and congressional votes serve the purpose of keeping the government running as a democracy. Unfortunately, in allowing for majority rule, sometimes the minority gets stepped on a little too much. In these cases, which include the current, the court system is a much better place to determine constitutionality.
UCLA estimates that over 11,000 gay couples have been married since the floodgates were opened in May until mid September. God hasn't sank it out of spite yet, so why not just leave the gays alone?
All Americans need to get behind the 'anti-anti-gay marriage movement' and help get prop 8 voted down. Even if the rest of us in the other 49 can't make the vote we need to make it clear that this proposition is a terrible thing. As I have said before, only 4% of the United States allows for gay marriage (that's two states for you math buffs), losing California would be a great loss to the cause.
See also my earlier, mostly relevant blog: The Hypocrites Dilemma
Saturday, October 25, 2008
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4 comments:
We, too, believe equal rights for everyone is long overdue.
We just have to hope we can get Prop 8 voted down now, so we can get a foothold!
I sincerely hope PROP 8 fails miserably.
BUT - if it DOES passes, is everyone prepared to spend another ba-zillion dollars on PR and possibly wait 20-30 years to "win"
equality in CA?
AND - if it does NOT pass, which state will we focus on next so we can spend another ba-zillion dollars to purchase civil rights?
I know I am virtually alone here (except for Charles Merrill and his partner), but I think all of you are insane. Truly crazy....one step away from writing-on-the-wall-with-your-feces crazy.
Because if ALL of us truly believed we WERE equal, we would not be so patient as tax-payers and U.S. citizens. We'd simply KNOW we ARE equal, and refuse to pay into a system that not only denies our familes civil marriage but doesn't even acknowledge our
existence (wait for the 2010 census).
I'm 43, and I will NOT wait until I'm 73 for fair and equal treatment. It's OK for the country at large to be ignorant, bigoted, mid-guided, and mid-informed. But that's not my fault. So until people GROW UP and show my family the same "civil" respect heterosexually-identified families are given, I owe this country and the IRS nothing.
How many times do I need to say this?
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION AIN'T GWANNA HAPPEN!
John-I was tempted to write a response right back to you, because I try to keep up on my comments, the few that I get. But then your comment started to make me think, so I've been chewing on it all day. Basically yes I agree with you and completely support your refusal to pay taxes to a country which will not treat you as a 1st and only class citizen.
You can be a regular H.D Thoreau of the 21st century. "“Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.… where the State places those who are not with her, but against her, – the only house in a slave State in which a free man can abide with honor"
I think that quote loosely relates, he was in jail for not paying taxes after all. I hope you fair better however...
I'm not sure why I still pay taxes to this place. It might just be a lack gonads or it maybe be some innate feeling of optimism inside me that I can't get rid of. Always thinking that things can get better.
Someday I might refuse to pay taxes to this country for a cause, but for now I guess I will trek on with my dumb old optimism.
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