Vote ‘No’ on Proposition 8

Friday, October 24, 2008 | by

In May, the state Supreme Court ruled that marriage is a civil right available to all Californians. If passed, Proposition 8 would amend the Constitution to define marriage as only between one man and one woman, thus stripping marriage rights from thousands of fellow citizens.

That must not be allowed to happen. Proposition 8 must be defeated.

Because this newspaper is nonpartisan, we never endorse candidates and rarely editorialize on ballot initiatives. This is one of those rare times.

Why? Though a thoughtful minority in the Jewish community opposes same-sex marriage, a majority of Jews believes that affirming civil marriage rights for everyone embodies deep Jewish values: equality, fairness and respect for all.

Not only does Proposition 8 contradict those values, if passed it would for the first time enshrine in our constitution a denial of rights.

Think about that. A constitution should serve as a blueprint for democracy. It should not codify punishment of a subset of citizens. Yet that is what will happen under Prop. 8, as thousands of couples would be barred from marrying and those who are already married would be at risk of having their unions annulled.

We cannot imagine a more sickening spectacle.

Those who worry about unintended consequences of legal same-sex marriage should remember: Massachusetts has sanctioned gay marriage for a few years. Last we checked, the sky has not fallen there.

Moreover, nowhere in the Supreme Court ruling is it suggested that churches and synagogues must now allow same-sex weddings. Denominations that oppose it need never hold gay weddings.

The scare tactics in Yes on 8 ads—such as depicting a young girl telling her mommy she can now marry a princess—dumb down the argument and obscure the central issue: Civil rights should never be up for a vote. To do so perverts democracy.

Yet the ads appear to be working. Trailing by double digits not long ago, Prop. 8 now leads in the polls, thanks in part to millions of campaign dollars pouring in from out-of-state interests, such as the Mormon Church.

If Prop. 8 passes, what a terrible precedent to set, especially in a state that so often leads the country into the future.

As Jews, we cannot help being sensitive to this encroachment on liberties. It’s the slipperiest of slopes, far worse than any perceived moral breakdown due to same-sex marriage.

Don’t let it happen here.

Let us as a community speak loudly and clearly. Please vote “No” on Proposition 8.