I would like to (a) amplify the thoughts from Dean Barker, the editor of our Granite State blog Blue Hampshire - that one shouldn't be distraught over some New Hampshire towns voting to support a referendum on the marriage equality law that went into effect two months ago - as well as highlight one town's response this past Saturday that should .... well, bring a smile to Daily Kos readers.
(more after the jump) ...
Town Meeting Day is a sight-to-behold here in New England; democracy in the true sense of the word. Voters actually approve/reject articles concerning the purchase of items such as tractors or fire alarm upgrades, all the way to school budgets.
But it isn't practical in towns more than, say, 15,000 population - who use a city council style of government. And so Town Meetings (with exceptions) tend to involve small towns, with many elderly residents making up the bulk of those attending/voting. This is especially true if Town Meeting Day is held on a weekday morning (1st Tuesday in Vermont, 2nd Tuesday in New Hampshire) as is traditional. In recent years, more towns have switched to an evening session or even on a Saturday, in order to increase turnout.
For example, in the 23 years I have lived in the Granite State, I've never been able to participate in Town Meeting, as I've lived in four different communities which have a city council.
And that's partly why Dean Barker wrote Don't Believe the Hype as well as Don't Believe the Hype Part II to place in perspective just what has happened this past week here in New Hampshire - and what has not. Some highlights:
--> Town Meeting takes place in small towns with:
(a) more elderly attendees than most
(b) who may well not know someone who is openly gay
(c) and where more social conservative attitudes exist
--> These votes do not have the force of law, as the Granite State does not have a referendum apparatus.
--> And if the goal were to seek a constitutional amendment: well, to quote from Don't Believe the Hype Part II ...
most (news stories) have not pointed out that an actual constitutional amendment requires a 2/3 super majority. Very few of these towns have passed it by that margin.
... the fact (is) that the larger, more liberal, cities are not voting on it, only the smaller, more conservative towns.
Even if you just look at the towns that had warrant articles, had this been an actual constitutional amendment vote, it would be going down in flames.
--> Supporters of these articles have couched their rhetoric in mere democratic terms (i.e., shouldn't the people have their say, this isn't about prejudice, etc.) For low-information-voters: these carefully-worded appeals probably drew-in citizens who may either support marriage equality (or at least do not oppose it).
--> While New Hampshire is traditionally a Republican state, the Christian Right have only a small presence here - the state GOP was never controlled by them, as is the case elsewhere.
--> The true goal of the 'antis' is to galvanize citizen opinion to - hopefully - bring back the traditional Republican majority in our Legislature, which collapsed this decade.
--> Despite all of that - as of last Friday, 53 towns had approved the article, 23 rejected it and 20 tabled it (deciding not to put it to a vote). And so even there, there isn't uniformity.
And that leads me to what happened this past Saturday in the Town of Plainfield - population slightly over 2,000 residents, about 1/2 hour south of my home - where the voters saw the anti-marriage equality supporters ... and raised them:
Not only did voters not approve the article, but, by a vote of 185-40, they amended it to instruct the Selectboard to write a letter to the governor and state legislators "commending them for passing and signing into law legislation affirming marriage equality for all New Hampshire residents."
"Plainfield Crushes Article on Marriage" was the actual headline from our local paper the Valley News - and as mentioned previously, observe the soothing words our opponents used in placing this article before town voters:
"This is not a place to debate homosexuality or gay marriage. This is about voters rights," said Marnie Cash-Rondeau, who organized the petition drive to put the article on Plainfield's ballot. But it was clear that many people disagreed with Cash-Rondeau's assessment, indicated in part by the throng of people wearing yellow buttons that said "Honoring All NH Families."
It was summed up best by a mother who has a gay daughter:
"Gay and lesbian people suffer not because of who they are but because of who we are," Cherington said.
Conlusion? In the words of "Frankie Goes to Hollywood", I would say relax: with New Hampshire estimated to have the the highest % of gay residents per capita by state - albeit less so in smaller towns - this movement will not succeed. When only 23% of New Hampshire's towns approved this resolution, it has no future.