Do The Right Thing Arnold
By Keith Boykin, in politics
Wednesday, September 7 2005, 12:07PM
In a surprising victory, the California state legislature last night approved an historic bill legalizing same-sex marriage and sent it to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign into law. The legislation passed just three months after the state Assembly defeated an identical bill. The final vote was 41-35, with all Republicans and a small group of Democrats opposed. Three Democrats who had abstained the last time switched their votes in support of the bill this time.
The vote marks the first time in the United States that a legislature has approved a bill that ends marriage discrimination. The state of Massachusetts recently adopted marriage equality only after the state's highest court declared marriage discrimination illegal.
Now the fate of millions of Californians lies in the hands of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has not taken an official position on the legislation but is expected to veto it. Such a move would mark an historic failure of vision and leadership on his part.
"This is one of those times history is looking to us to lead," said state Assemblyman Tom Umberg, one of the swing votes, during the legislative debate. It seems odd, but fate has chosen an Austrian-born bodybuilder turned actor turned politician to make this important decision.
Schwarzenegger married into one of the most prominent Democratic families in America when he wed Maria Shriver of the Kennedy clan. But Arnold is better known as The Terminator than as a politician. Now with his popularity at an all-time low, the governor should think carefully before he makes his final decision. The man who spent his career in gay environments as a bodybuilder and an actor and who has been publicly accused of sexual harassment should be extra sensitive to moral pronouncements against gays and lesbians.
The time is ripe for Arnold Schwarzenegger to do the right thing.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
To send an Email please visit:
http://www.govmail.ca.gov
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Comments conceal
Bernie
September 7 2005, 2:07PM
I think the "Governator" still holds out the hope his cronies at the national GOP level will overturn the restriction against non-American-born citizens running for president. Thus he's a synch to veto it and stay in line with party rhetoric.
Andrew Caldwell
September 7 2005, 8:04PM
If Arnold vetoes the bill, he should be recalled. Period.
Keith Boykin
September 8 2005, 2:53AM
Well then start the recall because the Governator said yesterday that he will veto the bill. He said the decision could be made by the courts but not by the legislature. Huh? That's the exact opposite of the GOP line about "activist judges." Now they want the judges to make the tough decisions they can't make themselves.
Shame on Arnold. The Terminator was just an act. He's a complete coward!
Keith Boykin
September 9 2005, 11:54AM
But it's not over yet. Governor Schwarzenegger's vow to veto the bill has prompted the bill's authors to delay delivering
it to the governor to give gay rights advocates two weeks to bombard him with calls, e-mails and protests in a last-ditch effort to win support.
If you care about this, contact the Governor now.