The big news from the Wake County Boards of Commissioners meeting yesterday was undoubtedly about their resolution to support Amendment One, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. But despite the motion, which came from Republican Paul Coble, and fell along party lines, the public comment period after the meeting was afire with opposition to the motion.
In a crowded room on the seventh floor of the Courthouse, over 20 people spoke ardently about the various damages inherent in passing Amendment One. Straight or gay, white or black, male and female, the group transcended normal boundaries of age or ethnic distinction. They spoke of the repercussions in terms of economic impact on the area and the affront on civil liberties caused by constitutionally mandated discrimination. These were not activists attempting to speak to a crowd; they were typical citizens speaking to neighbors and leaders. The sole voice supporting the amendment was Tami Fitzgerald, a woman who makes money lobbying for this cause. We hope to see the same ratio on the ballot in May.
This amendement infiringes on civil liberties well beyond gay marriage as well. (1) In supporting this amendment those republicans strayed from the core of republican ideal: Smaller government.
Besides prohibiting same-sex marriage, the Amendment would certainly have these far-reaching effects:
North Carolina voters could not pass civil unions in the future
State government could not allow unmarried couples to enter domestic partnerships, which would give them some rights and protections for themselves and their children
Local governments could no longer offer domestic partner insurance benefits to their employees; this would eliminate the health-care benefits that Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, and Mecklenburg and Orange Counties now provide to domestic partners and their children (1)
From the Governor herself, “legal experts have argued that this amendment, if passed, could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples in our state, regardless of sexual orientation.” (2)
(1)
http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/faculty/marriageamendment/updatedamendentpointsfinal.pdf
(2)
http://www.governor.nc.gov/NewsItems/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?newsItemID=2078
http://www.law.unc.edu/documents/faculty/marriageamendment/dlureportnov8.pdf
Bravo Wake County…but the Republicans won’t listen.
Tonight there was a town meeting in Transylvania county where our Republican Representative insisted that there was rampant voter fraud in the state….”We need picture ID’s to vote” He had no statistics although our Commissioner of Elections told him there was no voter fraud worth spending millions of dollars to issue picture ID’s. Senator Jim Davis was funded in the election by Art Pope and Civitas. (See the New Yorker essay about how this man won his seat in Raleigh by 161 votes and took it away from John Snow). The only way to get rid of these fools is to vote them out of office. Education, (which everyone supports) should be the main reason to go to the polls in May and in November.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Penny. The best thing for society, above all else, is education. It is the best motivator for increased wealth, happiness and longevity. It pains me to see so much of our money go to wasteful defense spending and pork projects. And when the recession hits, what’s the first thing on the chopping block? Teacher’s salaries and funding for higher education.
We spend so much on defense, when in reality, only Americans will be able to destroy America, either through our greed or inaction.