My Turn by Paul Malmont Disagrees with Assemblywoman’s definition of democracy

We received many comments on the My Turn piece we published last week by Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, entitled 'Gay marriage on the ballot is democracy in action.' Every one of them opposed her point of view. The comment below, captures the sentiments of the various writers. I applaud Assemblywoman Littell McHose’s efforts to defend democracy. It reminded me of the legendary conservative writer William Buckley’s stirring defense from 1960: “We frown on any effort of the Negroes to attain social equality by bending the instrument of the state to their purposes.” Like Mr. Buckley then, not only is the Assemblywoman on the wrong side of this issue, she’s on the wrong side of Civil Rights history. The Constitution and Bill of Rights protect the minority as well as the majority. They also protect the minority from the majority. It is important for American society to treat everyone to the same standards of equality rather than bow to the demands of the numerical majority. Civil Rights need the protection and intervention of the government on occasion. Do I really need to review our checkered past on this? OK, I’ll be brief. If it hadn’t been for visionary (ahem, liberal!) legislation, people of color in many states would still be drinking from separate drinking fountains. If it weren’t for legislation, Chinese immigrants would still be forbidden from holding certain jobs. I’m sure I don’t have to remind the good Assemblywoman of all the protections she’s benefitted from as a woman. Imagine where we’d be if all Civil Rights issues were left to the voters to decide? I share the Assemblywoman’s love of democracy. And I’m sure she loves especially, as much as I do, our special institution of representational democracy. That’s the part where we elect leaders to execute our interests so our society doesn’t devolve into a free-for-all where we have to vote on every issue. It’s a good thing we can’t pick and choose the issues we want to vote on. It’s a good thing we have wise people like Assemblywoman Little McHose to do her job and make a brave call like punting an issue to a referendum instead of standing up and voting her conscience — whatever that may be. Following her logic, she should have insisted the issue of education cuts be put to public vote; as the consequences affect us far more every day than same-sex marriage ever will. Guess I missed that important call to action. The Assemblywoman’s words in favor of democracy in action are so wonderfully passionate — and she spends so much time unmasking the villains in her tale (“liberals” who show contempt for “the democratic process itself” – Yeah, they hate that stuff.) — that one could almost miss the anti-same-sex marriage issue at the heart of her letter hiding behind her ideological straw-man. So she doesn’t like same-sex marriage or gays. This is America: she’s entitled to her opinion. So was the great Mr. Buckley. I encourage her, as an elected leader, to put her vote where her mouth is. Let’s see if history judges her opinion as poorly as it judged the bigoted one held by the leading conservative intellectual of his time. I’m not going to get into a defense of same-sex marriage here. I’m not going to point out that as an American, it’s not my business who any adult chooses to love and marry, it’s certainly not my neighbor’s nor any government’s. I’m not going to point out that government getting involved in marriage increases the scope and reach of that government, which conservatives deplore and fight against all the time. This is not the place to point out that the 50 percent heterosexual divorce rate has destroyed more families and done more to damage this country over the last 30 years than most anything else and still the government wisely understands that it has no place to step in there, as indicated by the lack of anti-divorce referendums or legislation. This is not the place to point out that she’s trying to introduce legislation that will define my marriage — I sure hope the marriage my wife and I have fits her vision (does she want to have somebody approve our vows? Marriage police? Might be some new jobs there, I guess). I’m not going to point out that same-sex marriage creates badly needed jobs — in the wedding industry, for example — and how we could really use that work here in New Jersey. No, I’m happy to enthusiastically embrace the Assemblywoman’s call that we resolve issues through voting. I will be putting her terrific advice to heart, talking to my neighbors about her policies and voting — against her. Paul Malmont Sparta