There is afoot yet another effort on the part of homophobes to “protect the institution of marriage” in Washington state (known as Referendum 71), hot on the heels of California’s approval (and judicial okey-dokey) of Proposition 8.
(I have never understood the reasoning behind the idea that “marriage” needs protection, why allowing gay couples to wed would threaten “marriage”, and why anyone would think the state should be allowed to interfere with any sort of voluntary legal or moral contract. But, that’s just me, I guess.)
What caught my eye in one commentary stream about the validity of petition signatures for this repugnant bolus of electoral flotsam was from commentariat member Reality Check:
Why are you all afraid of a vote on the issue? Are you afraid of democracy? Afraid of the majority opinion ? If any issue has merit the citizens will vote to uphold the law or issue right?…
What was the merit in legally-voted-upon Jim Crow laws in early 20th-century America?
Jim Crow in action
“Separate but equal” facilities were touted as the segrationists’ way of avoid miscegenation and other “mixing” of the races. The irony of this comparison is that for blacks back then Jim Crow is actually a step up from what is being offered gays now–”domestic partnerships” don’t have the legal teeth that marriage does, while (at least on paper) blacks were “equal”.
What was the merit in legally-voted-upon poll taxes and poll exams that were on the statutes in many states in the U.S. south?
Such impediments were put in place to discourage allowing the vote to blacks and all poor people. They were only deemed illegal due to the passage of the 24th amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
What was the merit in not giving women the right to vote prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
There were cries of “Anarchy!” and “Apocalypse now!” when the amendment was being considered. Petitions were held, and endless state referenda voted upon and passed banning women’s suffrage. It was widely believed that women were not capable of understanding the issues and candidates being voted upon.
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“What we are afraid of”, RC? We’re afraid of pure democracy, since it reflects the lowest common denominator of its constituency. As long as there is a sizable portion of the electorate who is even willing to consider putting such exquisite bullshit as Referendum 71 or Prop 8 (California) on the ballot, we all have a great deal to fear.
What it takes to get discriminatory laws swept away is action by those chosen in our representational government (in America, Congress and the Executive Branch), and in many cases it must be forced by constitutional amendment. Giving blacks the right to vote, giving women the right to vote, prohibition, the repeal of prohibition, enforcing the right of blacks to vote and full implementation of civil rights, extending franchise to those 18 years of age–all came about to override the efforts of bigoted zealots.
…and of course we all know where our Chief Executive stands on gay marriage. Don’t we? Or don’t we?
