Auchtoon!Your Actual History Is Ruining My Good Ol’ Days
Originally published in the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, Saginaw News March 2, 2014
I was listening to a story on the radio last week about the court case in Detroit regarding a lesbian couple who want marriage status so they can legally adopt each other’s kids. They can’t do that now because of the 2004 ballot proposal that put a ban on gay marriage in the Michigan constitution. This court case could be a major step toward overturning that law.
They interviewed a pastor who was part of a group protesting in support of the gay marriage ban. His reasoning is that there was a vote, the majority of voters decided to ban gay marriage, and it is wrong and disrespectful to revisit the issue. As far as he is concerned, it’s a done deal. End of story. For ever and ever. Let’s move on.
That seemed to me to be the worst possible arguement. Whatever your feelings are about gay marriage, the idea that a majority decision on any subject should forever makes it so, well, it’s un-American. The genius of our system is not that the founders got everything right at the get-go. (As any non-white, not-male, not-landowner can tell you, they didn’t.) What they did get right was setting the structure. The genius of our system is the flexibility baked in that allows growth and provides stability. There is nothing more American than evolving. We are perfectly free to keep our good ideas, and we are equally free to fix our bad ones.
Kris said,
March 4, 2014 @ 10:21 am
Do you think that 2004 ballot proposal would yield the same outcome in Michigan in 2014? I’d like to think it wouldn’t. You hit the nail on the head with this one! Love it.
Mert said,
March 4, 2014 @ 5:27 pm
…and the little John head speaks! It has begun.
John said,
March 4, 2014 @ 7:21 pm
Kris, the ballot proposal would almost certainly not yield the same outcome, which is why we are hearing more “it’s already been decided!” and less “the majority rules!” like we did a few years ago. And, yes Mr Mert, I’ve crossed that line….
Tyler said,
March 11, 2014 @ 10:40 am
Excellent cartoon. I am especially amused when pastor’s, priests, clergy folk use the bible to argue against equal rights. “Says so right there in the bible!” yeah, it also says you can own slaves, women are property, and anyone who eats shellfish should be stoned to death. Thank goodness we don’t read THAT part anymore. 🙂