California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Earlier this month the California legislature became the first in the country to legalize marriage for same-sex couples. Unfortunately, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vowed to terminate the bill.
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist a Schwarzenegger pun. I tried to fit "Jingle All the Way" in there but couldn't make it work.
Schwarzenegger, who is known to be socially moderate to liberal and who supports California's domestic partnership law, said he'll veto the bill because it goes against the will of the people who voted five years ago for an anti-gay ballot measure that recognized only heterosexual marriages.
Truth be told, the Terminator is wimping out, and I'm not the only writer who thinks so. Editorials at major newspapers across the country, including the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, have published editorials blasting Schwarzenegger.
The New York Times called him "a profile in timidity" and pointed out that "five years is an eternity in the fast-moving arena of gay rights."
According to the New York Times, "For years, social conservatives have accused judges of deciding social issues that should be left to legislators. Now Mr. Schwarzenegger wants to ignore his Legislature and leave gay marriage to the courts or the voters at large to decide."
It's the ultimate flip-flop. When the Massachusetts Supreme Court said marriage should be open to same-sex couples, conservatives shouted about "activist judges" making decisions that should be left to the legislature. But now that the legislature has spoken in California, the decision should be left up to the courts. Looks like these folks want it both ways.
The argument that the decision should be left to the people is a smoke screen. The legislature is, after all, elected by the people to represent them. Putting the rights of a minority to a popular vote of the majority, which folks are attempting to do as they gather signatures to get an anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot, isn't how democracy is supposed to shake out.
As of press time Schwarzenegger hasn't yet vetoed the bill, but that's just because he hasn't been presented with it yet. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sept. 13 that Assemblyman Mark Leno, the San Francisco Democrat responsible for the bill, is holding out until the Sept. 23 deadline in order to give marriage equality proponents time to lobby the governor.
But Schwarzenegger doesn't want to hear it. "The governor will not change his mind on this bill," Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson told the Chronicle. "The legal issues do not change, regardless of public input. It will take another vote of the people or a court action to determine the issue."
Of course, there's no harm in trying. And for the sake of history, Schwarzenegger should be contacted with as many supporters as possible.
Contact Gov. Schwarzenegger and tell him to sign, not veto, the marriage bill. Write him a letter at State Capitol Building, Sacramento, CA 95814; call him at 916-445-2841, email by visiting http://www.govmail.ca.gov, or fax him at 916-445-4633. And make sure to mention how much you loved him in "Kindergarten Cop."
