(sitting at home recovering from the flu I had time to compose this rant for the morning)
The combined Massachusetts legislature sitting in a constitutional convention considered two amendments to the constitution banning gay marriage yesterday. Along with a ban on gay marriage the Finneran amendment had a caveat that the amendment did not exclude the legislature from later enacting civil unions while the Travaglini amendment specifically included the establishment of civil unions.
Finneran's amendment was first defeated 100 to 98.
Travaglini's amendment was then defeated 104 to 94.
Separate but equal is almost never acceptable.
The last amendment which is likely to be considered Thursday would not only ban gay marriage it would also very likely ban the legislature and any organization the state funds from offering any of the benefits associated with marriage to a gay couple.
Here is the text of the final proposed amendment:
It being the public policy of this Commonwealth to protect the unique relationship of marriage in order to promote, among other goals, the stability and welfare of society and the best interest of children, only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Massachusetts. Any other relationship shall not be recognized as a marriage or its legal equivalent.
Evidently the sponsor and supporters of this amendment don't consider the children of gay couples important enough to care about their family stability. Following this logic to its conclusion why they are still allowing non-fertile heterosexuals couples to marry?
The answer of course is that their is no logic to this proposed amendment to the oldest constitution in the world -- it is entirely based on religious bigotry and fear. It was only in 1967 that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws forbidding couples of different races to marry in this country. The Massachusetts Supreme Court has correctly done its job upholding our constitution and its guarantee of equal rights to all people. Courts provide an essential balance in our system of government protecting minorities from the bigotries and prejudices of majorities.
However not everyone agrees:
Boston Globe: Discussion is charged with tears, appeals
Speaker of the House Representative Tom Finneran:
In the majority opinion [of the SJC ruling] was a statement that I would describe as libelous and defamatory of this institution," Finneran said. "The libel spoke to the definition of marriage that has come to us from custom, tradition, every society, every culture, every nation in all of recorded history as one man and one woman. The defamatory statement stated this: In light of that extraordinary history, the SJC said this about you and the citizens of Massachusetts. They said that definition was rooted in animus and bigotry.
Representative David Flynn:
It's not about politics," he said. "I am on the same side as the governor on this issue. This is not about religion. It's not about a bible. It's not about civil rights. It's not about civil law. It's about natural law with me, the law of nature. The Supreme Judicial Court can and does invoke the law of man. The Supreme Judicial Court cannot repeal the law of nature.
These people are intellectually empty and morally hollow. If natural law and tradition were the final arbiters of ethics and social morality we'd still have segregated schools and ban interracial marriage.
So unless six of the following people who voted no for both of the amendments did so because they will vote no for any amendment banning gay marriage Massachusetts will likely start the process to amend the constitution and join the other states who have passed hate-amendments enshrining the sacred and traditional value of bigotry in their constitutions.
David P. ,Magnani,D,SENATE,Framingham,722-1640
Jo Ann ,Sprague,R,SENATE,Walpole,722-1222
Marian ,Walsh,D,SENATE,Boston,722-1348
Ruth B. ,Balser,D,HOUSE,Newton,722-2400
Salvatore F. ,DiMasi,D,HOUSE,Boston,722-2600
Patricia A. ,Haddad,D,HOUSE,Somerset,722-2692
Lida E. ,Harkins,D,HOUSE,Needham,722-2300
Shaun P. ,Kelly,R,HOUSE,Dalton,722-2263
Peter J. ,Koutoujian,D,HOUSE,Waltham,722-2130
Elizabeth A. ,Malia,D,HOUSE,Boston,722-2120
Matthew ,Patrick,D,HOUSE,Falmouth,722-2090
Vincent A. ,Pedone,D,HOUSE,Worcester,722-2090
William Smitty ,Pignatelli,D,HOUSE,Lenox,722-2582
Byron ,Rushing,D,HOUSE,Boston,722-2637
Jeffrey ,Sanchez,D,HOUSE,Boston,722-2575
Frank Israel ,Smizik,D,HOUSE,Brookline,722-2060
Theodore C. ,Speliotis,D,HOUSE,Danvers,722-2380
Thomas M. ,Stanley,D,HOUSE,Waltham,722-2575
Marie P. St.,Fleur,D,HOUSE,Boston,722-2070
Timothy J. ,Toomey Jr.,D,HOUSE,Cambridge,772-2030
Eric ,Turkington,D,HOUSE,Falmouth,722-2210
Martin J. ,Walsh,D,HOUSE,Boston,722-2396
Alice K. ,Wolf,D,HOUSE,Cambridge,722-2380
Senate contact info:
House contact info:
