July 18, 2002
They Did the Right Thing. Not the Right Wing Thing.
In a shockingly rare case of government actually working for the people, the Massachusetts Legislature yesterday voted overwhelmingly not to even discuss putting a "pro-marriage" question on the ballot.
The people who wanted the question on the ballot claimed it was to protect the institution of marriage, but it didn't really seem to have any effect other than to shut out gay couples from getting any kind of civil recognition from the state. Putting aside the issues that the petition for the ballot question was riddled with fraud allegations, the Legislature did the right thing. A ridiculous question like this shouldn't even see the light of day.
If you want to see a wonderful display of circular logic, check out the FAQ of Marriage Matters, a group ostensibly devoted to protecting the sancitity of marriage against whatever it is threatening it. I still would like to see these people devote some of their energy toward slowing down the divorce rate, if they're serious about defending marriage and protecting the children (since that is what this is all about). But I'm glad our lawmakers saw fit to chuck this silliness without a second look.
Posted by michaelf at July 18, 2002 10:52 PM
