As promised, Vermont’s Republican Governor Jim Douglas vetoed civil marriage equality for all Vermont residents. But this morning, the Vermont House and Senate have both voted to override the veto. This means Vermont is the fourth state to guarantee equal protection to gays and lesbians. No longer are gays and lesbians second-class citizens in Vermont. Vermont becomes the fourth state, behind Massachusettes, Connecticut, and Iowa to legalize marriage.
As I posted previously, those biggoted “Christians” will say whatever they can to stop equality from going forth. Religion has been used to justify killing, jihads, the repression of women, and the like over the years, and it will be turned to in the future, to justify discrimination and repression. It’s sad. Religion is such a beautiful thing, but people like Don Wildmon and his ilk lie (which, of course, is against a commandment he is supposed to be teaching!) to the public, scaring them into subservience. As I heard one of his ilk say, “I don’t like what Obama’s doing”. When I asked what specific they objected to, they said, “I don’t know. I just know I don’t like it.”
So it’s wonderful to see truth and justice win out twice in one week. But it makes me think of the injustice done throughout other states, like my beloved Oregon, like one BlueOregon.com contributor posted recently on their site. It made me go and find the actual text of the current Oregon Constitution. In it, the very first statement is:
Section 1. Natural rights inherent in people. We declare that all men, when they form a social compact are equal in right: that all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness; and they have at all times a right to alter, reform, or abolish the government in such manner as they may think proper.
That first statement is powerful. “We declare that all men, when they form a social compact are equal in right…” That, to me, says that every single Oregonian has the same rights as every other Oregonian. But the people of Oregon actually undid that, specifically for gays and lesbians when this was added to the Constitution:
Section 5a. Policy regarding marriage. It is the policy of Oregon, and its political subdivisions, that only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage. [Created through initiative petition filed March 2, 2004, and adopted by the people Nov. 2, 2004]
It is truly sad. A document that is there to insure the rights and responsibilities of all people, and the singling out of a specific group for discrimination. How right would it be if that article read this way instead?
Section 5a. Policy regarding marriage. It is the policy of Oregon, and its political subdivisions, that only a marriage between one WHITE man and one WHITE woman shall be valid or legally recognized as a marriage. [Created through initiative petition filed March 2, 2004, and adopted by the people Nov. 2, 2004]
People would be up in arms, would they not? Because that is discrimination against people of color, saying that only “white folks” can get married. How very true. So the very basis of Section 5a of the Oregon Constitution is shameful, and should be removed. And according to Nate Silver over at FiveThirtyEight.com, that could easily happen today, in Oregon, in 2009.