Comments on: Majority backs gay marriage, ballot measure in poll

By: Majority backs gay marriage, ballot measure in poll | DC Agenda « Ardente

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:35:31 +0000

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Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:44:20 +0000

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By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:30:21 +0000

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By: Majority backs gay marriage, ballot measure in poll | DC Agenda Tools

Majority backs gay marriage, ballot measure in poll | DC Agenda Tools — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:23:16 +0000

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By: John B.

John B. — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:21:08 +0000

Well, imagine that. We DC residents overwhelmingly elected an unabashedly liberal city council, most of whom have always been strongly supportive of gay rights in general and same-sex marriage in particular, and they voted overwhelmingly (11-2) to allow gay couples to marry, and the mayor we overwhelmingly elected signed it into law. But it’s nice to have confirmation that our DC Council and mayor aren’t so out-of-touch with their constituents as people like Harry Jackson and his Republicans friends in Congress who want to force a referendum on us would have everybody believe. What they call an “out-of-control city council” is largely representative of the city, but apparently they don’t believe in the principles of representative democracy as set out in the U.S. Constitution and D.C. charter. As such, the people make their will heard through their representatives, and that is what has happened here in DC.

Our ELECTED DC Council and our ELECTED mayor have spoken, and in doing so they are doing the precise job we elected them to do. But the opponents of same-sex marriage would have us believe they are doing it in the name of democracy–”the people have a right to be heard” (and apparently they weren’t “heard” when they went out and voted in the last election???)–but having lost in every legal venue in the District, they are turning to Congress to get their way. They apparently don’t see the irony that having Congress–none of whom ANY of us DC residents ever had a chance to vote for–step in to overrule our ELECTED representatives and mayor and tell us what to do is the exact opposite of democracy. And to do what? To allow the civil rights of a minority to be put to a vote by the majority. Shame on all of them, they’ve helped put the last nail in the coffin of the civil rights movement.

Unfortunately this won’t stop the opponents of same-sex marriage. If the majority were much larger it might make a difference but as it stands now don’t count on the anti-marriage forces singing a different tune after this poll–if anything it will embolden them because now they can taunt us, “what are you so afraid of?” 56% is a pretty strong majority but not invulnerable, especially if they bring in millions of dollars from outside groups and use slimy fear-mongering tactics as happened in both Maine and California–two other states where larger majorities than polls suggested ultimately voted to overturn same-sex marriage.

Having lost in both the courts (where they railed against “unelected judges” and “judicial tyranny” and “legislating from the bench”) and the (elected!) legislature (DC’s “out-of-touch City Council”), the anti-marriage side claims to be respecting the “will of the people” in putting same-sex marriage up for a popular vote; in reality all they want is to outlaw same-sex marriage, by any means necessary, and they are counting on that happening if it is put to a vote.

But the bottom line, which so many people seem to be missing, is why should ANYBODY’S civil rights be put to a popular vote?