I was torn for a while. I’m a person who has thought through and made up her mind about almost every issue, from abortion to taxation, but I’d been on the fence about gay marriage for a long time. I couldn’t figure out which side of the argument better lined up with my political philosophies. On the one hand, I believe that people should be granted every right as long as it doesn’t begin to infringe upon the rights of others. Gay marriage, despite anyone’s moral qualms with it, has no detrimental effect on anyone outside the same-sex couple, and therefore should be allowed. But I’m also a big supporter of democracy in as pure a form as is logistically possible, and I therefore think that “majority rules” is a vital ideology for keeping people happiest and for ensuring fairness. And for the time being, the overwhelming majority of the American populace wants to keep marriage between one man and one woman, and therefore gay marriage should not be allowed.
That’s what I’ve been churning over for years. And today, as I wait for the California Supreme Court to come out with its decision on Proposition 8, I have come to a conclusion: this is not about gay marriage. This is not about human rights. This is not about Christianity or morality or the ick factor. This boils down to our essential form of government, and what the Robes of California decide on this issue will make a huge statement about what America is becoming. This ruling will show us if democracy still reigns or if we are swiftly slipping into the dangerous bounds of totalitarianism. I cannot help but ask: are We the People in charge or not?
The people of California have voted, and 52% of them supported an addition to their state Constitution affirming that marriage would only be recognized between one man and one woman. Not only would this ban same-sex marriage, it would ban polygamy, which a much bigger majority agrees on. The people have spoken. That should be the end of it. But instead, the state Supreme Court is in session, talking about whether or not they should, for a second time, disregard the voice of the citizens and do what they want. We have given one small group, just seven people, the power to throw out the decision of 6.9 million ballots. They hold the power to silence the public.
Whether or not I have made up my mind about the legalization of gay marriage is irrelevant at this point. What matters in the here and now is that the majority vote opposes it, and I’m not about to say that we should start legalizing things to please a whiny minority.
Allow me to put on my radical hat for a moment and be harsh: I don’t care what you believe. If your idea is in the minority, tough cookies. You’re going to have to wait until more people begin to side with you, and then maybe things’ll go your way. But for now? Sit tight and quit complaining. We are supposed to be a democracy, which means that the majority vote has the power. We are not functioning under Squeaky Wheel legislation here. It is not the fractional vote that gets to control what governs the whole.
Maybe in a decade or so, when the first generation of the victims of public education’s brainwashing liberalization makes up a bigger chunk of voters, gay marriage will fly. But we have to respect the rights of those who oppose just as much as we respect those of the people who favor. We cannot tantrum in the aisles of our governmental grocery store for Daddy to buy us the constitutional amendments we want for breakfast. The 47.7% of Californians who voted down Prop 8 need to pick themselves up by their Pull-Ups and understand that politics are not about appeasement or coddling or giving in to feet-stomping brats. You lost. Too bad.
I’m still unable to say definitively if I’m for or against gay marriage. My party says one thing, the libertarian side of me says another, the “theatre kid” half of me is totally confused, and my faith throws a huge monkey wrench into the whole thing. I’ll admit it: I just don’t know. But I do know I believe in democracy, and this isn’t it.
After all, the McCainiacs had 46% of the popular vote. Does that mean we get to bitch and moan until the Supreme Court kicks Obama out of office?
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8 comments:
Kelly- it seems like you ran out of topics since Obama took office. The gay marriage topic has been one of the most politically active movements for change in our lifetime... maybe you're still on the fence, just like our government is at the moment. Your blogs continue to provide me with plenty of entertainment. If that other 8% of California had voted, I'm sure they would have been illegal in your eyes anyway. I can't wait till anyone can marry who they love, screw your sanctity/man vs. women bullshit, we're all human f-ing beings. Black, white, gay, straight, poor, rich. (Please allow this to stay posted, you deleted something of mine before, I just like givin' it back to you a little bit, you gotta hear what the common man/vernacular sounds like.)
Though I would agree with your premise of "majority rules", and you know how strongly I feel on the issue of gay marriage, I think it is important to understand the argument from the other side.
One of the major roles of government is to protect the rights of the minority. Without government intervention the "majority" of whites would never have granted equal rights to African Americans in the 1960's. Another case in point would be that a majority of male voters (the only ones allowed at the time) would never have given the right to vote to women (at the risk of being lynched by my daughters and ex-wife, if we could have stopped the women from voting we would never have gotten Bill Clinton (JUST KIDDING!!!!)). That majority would have stopped you from being able to have your say on these issues.
My thoughts on this issue are much the same as yours except that I would say the real problem is the usurping of the people's vote by unelected and unaccountable judges. The role of the judiciary is to interpret the laws, not make them. If and when the CA Supremes choose to overturn the will of the people they take upon themselves a power ungranted to them in either the state or federal constitution.
Bruco- I understand what you're saying, but everyone has the right to vote now, so the minority has every right to speak through voting, and they have every right to campaign and change minds. The bottom line is that the majority of Americans are still not okay with the idea, and I don't think it's fair to push it through in spite of that.
"Sarah Palin"- (I hate that I have to address you as that, by the way) I have not run out of topics, I have run out of time to write, but thank you. And I won't delete what you said (I deleted a past comment because it was highly disrespectful and added nothing to your side's argument), but I will refute it: Maybe you can't read. Nowhere in this post do I talk about my own feelings on "sanctity/man vs. woman bullshit." I thought I made it very clear that my point here is not about the morality behind gay marriage, but rather the core of democracy. Feel free to comment on what I ACTUALLY said instead of assuming that the Republican writing about gays is just a homophobic moron. And if by that "other 8%" you do, in fact, mean illegal immigrants, then you're right, I don't think they should have a vote, because they are here ILLEGALLY. And they're not just illegal in my eyes, they're illegal under the eyes of law. But apparently the law is something you're fine with undermining.
Fresh Elephant – after reading - one of my favorite quotes comes to mind
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
Ronald Reagan
40th president of US
As for Sarah Palin – she needs a few more years of wisdom to understand profanity in arguments only enables her opponents and shows ones self to be a fool.
"Maybe in a decade or so, when the first generation of the victims of public education’s brainwashing liberalization makes up a bigger chunk of voters, gay marriage will fly."
It sounds like you've already made up your mind about gay marriage.
No, actually. In the portion you cited I meant that our youth has not even had the opportunity to make up their own minds about it. They've all been programmed to vote the same way about it. I made no comment on which way I'll vote because I am still truly torn.
Well could't you argue that previous generations have been brainwahsed to think that homosexuals are subhuman and below the basic rights all other Americans are guaranteed?
I don't think so. I think, until recent years, homosexuality was such a taboo topic that our youth wasn't guided one way or the other about it.
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