Hate holds - Maine rejects same sex marriage
November 4th 2009 16:52
Maine voters had a chance to be a truly independent and strong state, to send a message out to the rest of America that the time has come for marriage equality in America. Instead, enough of them were either moved by their own fears and prejudices or cajoled by the barrage of outside money and advertising that they voted to deny marriage equality in Maine.
What was the historic opportunity Maine voters didn't take? If they upheld the Maine legislature's approval of same sex marriage, Maine would have been the first state in America to do so. Instead, they joined all those who have so far voted to uphold laws legalizing discrimination. I'm ashamed to say my home state of Oregon has done the same in a past election.
Many will say "the voters have spoken." What do votes like this tell us? Sometimes voters are very wrong. There was a time in America that majorities supported slavery. Majorities supported denying voting rights to women. In other countries majorities have favored fascist agendas.
One only need look at how many still support the last Administration (around 33 percent) to understand how voters can be very wrong. Of course, that's politically subjective. To deny rights is objective and easily quantifiable. That Maine voters reject gay marriage isn't about anything except denying equality.
On the plus side, it does look like voters in Washington State fought back attempts by hate merchants to repeal the so-called "Everything but Marriage" bill passed by the legislature but brought up on petition. It's not equal rights, but voters still beat back attempts to remove even that.
I know that one day people will look back at this struggle the same way students read about other civil rights fights, as something happening in the past. Their history teachers will speak of the "long struggle" and there will most likely be some other antiquated social philosophy the uninformed will cling to.
The fight in Maine wasn't unlike last year's battle in California over Proposition 8. Californians looked like they might be the first to step up and allow voter approved same sex marriage. Instead, they gave in to the flood of propaganda and money aimed at maintaining separate status. Recent polls are showing some voter remorse, though - the next time it comes up the result will probably be different.
Minority persecutions and prejudices are rarely overcome just by actions of the minority. They need people who don't, on the surface, have "skin in the game" to wake up and realize that we all have skin in the game. More people in support of equality need to turnout to match the muster call of prejudice.
It was the only big election held yesterday with decent turnout, which also says something about American voters. The fact that conservatives can be brought out by hate and fear continues to resonate throughout American politics.
If not for huge conservative turnout in New Jersey and Virginia, those contests might have turned out differently. Conservative pundits and mouthpieces are all touting the results, screaming about it being a denunciation of President Obama. It's America's Achilles Heel - the far right almost always votes, and pretty much in lockstep.
What was the historic opportunity Maine voters didn't take? If they upheld the Maine legislature's approval of same sex marriage, Maine would have been the first state in America to do so. Instead, they joined all those who have so far voted to uphold laws legalizing discrimination. I'm ashamed to say my home state of Oregon has done the same in a past election.
Many will say "the voters have spoken." What do votes like this tell us? Sometimes voters are very wrong. There was a time in America that majorities supported slavery. Majorities supported denying voting rights to women. In other countries majorities have favored fascist agendas.
One only need look at how many still support the last Administration (around 33 percent) to understand how voters can be very wrong. Of course, that's politically subjective. To deny rights is objective and easily quantifiable. That Maine voters reject gay marriage isn't about anything except denying equality.
On the plus side, it does look like voters in Washington State fought back attempts by hate merchants to repeal the so-called "Everything but Marriage" bill passed by the legislature but brought up on petition. It's not equal rights, but voters still beat back attempts to remove even that.
I know that one day people will look back at this struggle the same way students read about other civil rights fights, as something happening in the past. Their history teachers will speak of the "long struggle" and there will most likely be some other antiquated social philosophy the uninformed will cling to.
The fight in Maine wasn't unlike last year's battle in California over Proposition 8. Californians looked like they might be the first to step up and allow voter approved same sex marriage. Instead, they gave in to the flood of propaganda and money aimed at maintaining separate status. Recent polls are showing some voter remorse, though - the next time it comes up the result will probably be different.
Minority persecutions and prejudices are rarely overcome just by actions of the minority. They need people who don't, on the surface, have "skin in the game" to wake up and realize that we all have skin in the game. More people in support of equality need to turnout to match the muster call of prejudice.
It was the only big election held yesterday with decent turnout, which also says something about American voters. The fact that conservatives can be brought out by hate and fear continues to resonate throughout American politics.
If not for huge conservative turnout in New Jersey and Virginia, those contests might have turned out differently. Conservative pundits and mouthpieces are all touting the results, screaming about it being a denunciation of President Obama. It's America's Achilles Heel - the far right almost always votes, and pretty much in lockstep.
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