Proposition 8

Proposition 8 is an inevitably and extremely controversial topic that creates an enormous amount of attention among activists and counter activists alike. We were asked to watch a PBS special which brought together the two lawyers that are representing 4 plaintiff’s demanding the right of gay and lesbian marriage. Ted Olson (Republican) and David Boies (Democrat) came together in an obscure case to defend basic constitutional rights that may seem unconstitutional to some. Whether one votes against proposition 8 due to political beliefs, hatred, uncertainty or whatever, these two lawyers that represent different parties come together to display the major void in our first Amendment by enacting such a proposition.

Its very interesting that a democrat, one who would typically support gay marriage, and a republican, one who normally will not support it, to come together and represent four citizens of this country who feel they are being treated as second class citizens. This topic goes beyond what someone religiously believes but rather the basic premise of a part of our constitution. We are granted the right of marriage whether it is between a black and a white, an imprisoned felon and a working class citizen, and so on. It is such a basic privilege that to deny someone that right is in direct violation of our constitution. That means that 6 million voters who said ‘YES’ to proposition 8 bi-passed our constitution and voted off of a belief.

Many people who feel gay marriage is wrong created propaganda to display the negative affects this could have on our society. Some consisted of protecting our children, allowing polygamy, allowing sodomy. Others stated that children would not receive the same nurture and care they could get from a heterosexual relationship. The other lawyers could not prove this in fact, for every argument they Olson and Boies had, the defending lawyers arguments were invalid. Olson and Boies basically laughed at such claims. They stated that such ads are only to scare people away from voting the constitutional way. This is a quote from Ted Olson that really stood out to me,

“The leading expert in the world about welfare of children from Cambridge testified that children do as well in a same sex environment, where both of their parents are the same sex, just as well as opposite sex parents. And it's important to recognize California recognizes the right of same sex couples to live together, to have children, to adopt children, or conceive of children in various ways that are available these days. There's 37,000 children or something.”

Our constitution grants us the basic right of marriage. It states that any two citizens may be married. It says nothing about a man and a women but just two citizens, It is clear that Olson and Boies’ arguments will be heard nationwide because it is the right thing to do under the laws we abide from. No argument can disagree otherwise in a legitimate matter. To say no to two people who are loving, law abiding, tax paying and among other things- to say they are not allowed to be married is treating them as a second class citizen thus, unconstitutional.