Sign It, Arnold

And so it has happened.  The first legislature in the history of this country has voted to allow gay people the same right to marry the person of their choice that is enjoyed by straight Americans.  AB 849 passed the California Assembly last night 41-35, not a veto-proof margin by a long shot.

Some people would prefer that I avoid discussing "rights" – even though I truly believe the topic is entirely germane – but I don't also shrink from the "responsibilities" side of the equation.  This isn't some debate for pointy-headed academics.  It is about real people who want to make a real, legal commitment to one another – to form a family, the basic unit upon which virtually all societies are built and which binds us together.

And now it sits on Governor Schwarzenegger's desk, a political time-bomb that could blow up in his face, no matter what he does.

California is about as solidly a blue state as they come these days.  But it is true that just a few years ago, three out of five Californians voted for Proposition 22, which bans gay marriage.

And thus, the nub of the debate comes down to whether we are a true republic, or a pure democracy in which paid elected officials merely pass the buck on the hardest questions.  Harry Truman had a thing or two to say about buck-passers, and thankfully, his spirit is alive and well in the (often obstreperous) California legislature.

I have been doing some digging to learn as much as possible about the Governor's previous statements.  Of course, his most famous was in the form of a misstatement, when he told Sean Hannity: "I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."

BlogCabin believes Schwarzenegger has previously said it is "an issue the Legislature or the voters, not the court, should decide."  I hope to find a link to support those comments about the legislature, but I have not yet done so.  Instead, we have this troubling statement from last night, hinting at a veto:

"The Governor believes that the people spoke when they approved Proposition 22,'' Margita Thompson, Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview. "That's now before the courts, and the Governor believes that's where it belongs.''

OK, I'm confused.  I thought Republicans opposed allowing the issue to be decided by "activist judges."  Could all the obfuscation be a sign that this is just a wedge-issue bullet Schwarzenegger would rather dodge altogether?  Unfortunately, "maybe" is not an option in this case.

I have urged my family members and friends in California to make their voices heard at the Governor's mansion.  I rarely issue a "call to action," but I am going to make an exception in this case.  Please call Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to support AB 849 on gender-neutral marriage.  Emails are all good and well, but there is nothing like a phone ringing off the hook to move a politician.

Here is his contact information:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633

If you do choose to send an email, they have an online form at http://www.govmail.ca.gov.  Be sure to select "Gender-neutral marriage/AB00849" from the subject-list pull-down, and (preferably) click the "supporting" option.

As I told the Governor in my own email to him, "I truly believe someday we will look back at this debate with shame on those who opposed this basic gesture of decency, this right, for gay citizens.  We will wonder what all the fuss was about, and why there were some who would seek to marginalize and stigmatize so many of their fellow citizens."

Comments

[Roy]

Yes, he better sign it!!!!!!

[torrentprime]

In my email to him this morning, I mentioned that even pandering-to-special-interests-groups Democrats do the right thing sometimes, and as a gay man who door-knocked and campaigned for him, I hoped that he would sign the bill.

Here's hoping...

[torrentprime]

F***! He says he'll veto it.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/12584812.htm

[BayAreaGuy]

OH NO! IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR PRECIOUS FRIEND IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY LET US DOWN AFTERALL. Was that a big shock to you, Mal? After all, you spend a lot of time on your site ridiculing "The Leftists" and chatting up the Republicans, even in the face of almost DAILY proof that the latter are a bunch of gay bashing, woman hating, arrogant war mongers. But then, you don't really have time to pay attention to that, right? You're too busy confusing Osama bin Laden for Saddam Hussein (as the Bush Plan predicted you would), stating that 5000 people died in the WTC attack (when it was just shy of 3000), and believing that we're in Iraq to "fight terrorism and save the Iraqis), rather than to secure oil interests for Bush and his cronies. AND ALL THIS WHILE BEING A GAY MAN!!! ARE YOU INSANE, OR JUST STUPID?

[North Dallas Thirty]

Tell me, BAG, what would you say to a candidate who says that, because of the way gays are biologically, they are not worthy of the higher sacraments of the Catholic Church and should be legally deprived of their rights by constitutional amendment?

Well, in 2004, you called him "pro-gay" and "gay-supportive", and sunk several million dollars into promoting views that were previously considered homophobic.

Moreover, "no blood for oil" shrieks sound particularly ironic coming from people who seemingly had no trouble with blood when they were getting paid with Saddam's oil money.

So I guess, BAG, the question is this:

-- Are you against homophobia, or are you in favor of it as long as Democrats are the ones practicing it?

-- Are you against Iraqi bloodshed in all cases, or only if you're not being paid to ignore it?

Once we get that figured out, then we can more precisely address your criticism of Mal.

[Malcontent]

BayAreaGuy: We pride ourselves here on having a blog where people frequently disagree, but they usually do so civilly. It's kind of a self-policing thing and I prefer to keep it that way.

I don't ban people for having poor manners, but you seem to be lacking them altogether. If you insist on "interacting" with me and our readers in this fashion, you will not be welcome here.

I am leaving for Africa momentarily and don't have time to address any of your garden-variety moonbat ravings, save one:

Your pals in al-Qaeda have indeed murdered more than 5,000 people. That is a conservative estimate. If you think those who were lost on 9/1 were their only victims, you're completely daft. (Well, that you are, regardless of your view on that particular subject.)

At least a couple thousand more people have been killed in al-Qaeda-linked attacks on the London transit system, the Madrid transit system, the USS Cole, Khobar Towers, El Ghriba, Istanbul, Egypt, Amman, Balie, Riyadh and countless other places. It's called "history." Look into it.

I have little time for apologists for the Religion of Peace.

[Malcontent]

I meant "Bali."

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