In California, the passage of Proposition 8, defining marriage as between a man and a woman, is being challenged and is now before the California Supreme Court. This is the very same court that struck down the first protection of traditional marriage, Proposition 22, passed in 2000. In that case four members of the court overruled a 61.4% voting majority and declared the proposition unconstitutional. In my opinion there is very little reason to think it won’t happen again. What is of great concern to me is the outcry, the lobbying and the expectation of so many in this state seeking to obtain through the court system what they couldn’t get through the ballot box. Both the California Governor and Lieutenant Governor have joined the chorus of those expressing hope that Prop 8 will be overturned by the court. It has become common and sadly acceptable for the losers in a election to plan and execute a reversal of results by means of the court system and sympathetic judges.
I know this is a very hot-button issue. But regardless of your opinion about gay marriage step back and think about this for a moment. Is there any more precious right we have as citizens of this country than to vote? Is liberty and freedom better expressed anywhere than in the voting booth? Yet we seem to be perfectly fine with giving the most undemocratic, the most unaccountable and the most unrepresentative branch of government broad sweeping powers to make and change the Constitution as they see fit, taking the right away from us, the voters, We the People.
The people of California have spoken clearly twice in the last decade. The voting majority want marriage to be defined as one man and one woman. Every vote by definition has a winner and a loser. But if the loser can manipulate a system whereby they become the winner then does it not make the voting process a sham?
If Prop 8 is overturned the political left, the gay lobby, their sympathizers and supporters will be dancing in the streets. But if you look very closely you’ll see their dancing feet are trampling one of our most cherished and basic rights. And if that does happen then I will have one question…
Why bother to vote?
