Maine is currently the consensus ground zero in the battle over same-sex marriage in the U.S. For the first time, it appears that public opinion, not judicial order, could win the day. You see, Maine has a voter-veto policy, by which the public can vote down any law passed by the legislature. Prop 1 is up for a vote, and the public will decide whether it wants to allow gay marriage. If the progressives win, it will be a clear sign that gay marriage is not being foisted upon an unwilling public by rogue judges.
If this is an issue that is important to you, Greta Christina has several suggestions for what you can do:
1. Talk about it: Blog it, facebook it, twitter it. Tell your friends.
2. Give money. “It doesn’t have to be a huge amount — again, Maine is a cheap date, and small amounts can make a big difference — but give what you can. (If everyone who reads this blog donated $25, that would be a decent-sized chunk of their budget.)”
3. Pitch in. ”The No on 1 campaign is doing something they’re calling a Volunteer Vacation“
Check out Greta’s Blog for the full story.
Maybe it’s a little ironic that I’m posting a political opinion piece on the same day as I posted an article on keeping unjustified opinions to yourself, but I think this qualifies as a justified opinion. I am qualified to comment on homosexuality. It is common in nature. It’s not some kind of magical Devil-Joo-Joo designed to send people to eternal punishment. Preventing gays from marrying has definite, verifiable effects. The concept of “Equal Rights Under The Law” seems incompatible with excluding people from legal rights based on consentual (and natural!) sexual preference. These are all, I believe, justifiable opinions that have a huge impact on people’s lives.
At the very least, this is something that rises above the chatter, and I think it deserves our attention.
Discussion
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