marriage equality

I've been increasingly troubled since the California Supreme Court ruled to uphold Proposition 8 and continue the practice of subjegating gays and lesbians to second class status. Its more than just the setback to the gay rights movement, its the complete lack of logic to their thinking.

The court said that the voters made a clear indication on what they define marriage as and the court did not have the right to declare that invalid. However, in 2000 California voters passed Proposition 22 by a larger majority than they did Proposition 8. The court originally acted in their decision to allow marriage equality invalidated a clear vote of the populace and now claim that they cannot do it again.

The court allowed the marriages already completed to remain valid. It makes no sense to say that 18,000 marriages are valid, but no other ones are allowed, solely based on the date that it occured. Either marriage equality is a valid argument or not. Having some marriages and some aren't makes no legal sense and will only leave confusion in legal precedence.

The determination that marriage is not a right of the individual may be the scariest aspect of the whole thing. I'm not one of the people who think the federal government should pull out of the whole marriage business, but that marriage serves a purpose for the government to support. But the ability of the court to determine who can get married is way too much federal intervention (and I'm a socialist saying this!!!!). Easily, this gives precedent that interracial, interreligious, or international marriages can be declared null and void based on this court ruling.

networking at its finest

So my gumption with Gavin Newsome did do some good. I got a letter from him at work saying it was good to see me. True, I'm sure a staff member did it and then he signed it in a million thank you notes. But it arrived to me at work, which means my business card didn't end up in the trash. It ended up in Sacramento. I have since planned my eventual rise in power to Secretary of Education in a President Newsome administration. :)

Governor Gavin Newsome

I went to a fundraiser Thursday night for Gavin Newsome, the mayor of San Francisco who is running for Governor of California. So I got to shake his hand twice and I also gave him my business card and told him that I would love to come work education issues for him when he's elected. So we had a brief conversation on education issues. I think my gumption impressed him, so if he wins look for me to be in the CA higher ed system ;)