Let the People Vote

Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker has announced his opposition to putting marriage equality to a popluar vote.

"I shudder to think what would have happened if the civil rights gains, heroically established by courageous lawmakers in the 1960s, were instead conveniently left up to popular votes in our 50 states," Booker said in a statement.

Voters have regularly held back various civil rights movement.  A New Jersey legislator noted that the last successful referendum in the state was in 1915 when voters repealed a bill allowing women the vote.  And laws forbidding discrimination in housing were revoked by voters in both California and Maryland as well as in many smaller municipalities.  The DC councilmembers disallowed referenda on groups covered by the Human Rights Act were well aware of this.

American democracy doesn't allow that government take away rights even if the majority favors it.  The Bill of Rights was added onto the Constitution to limit the reach of democracy.  Even if an overwhelming majority of citizens want Christianity declared our official religion itthey cannot.  Even if a majority of DC voters want guns outlawed they cannot do that either.  And in instances this has failed, such as when the Supreme Court upheld a law allowing for the imprisonment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, it is held as a stain on our national honor.

Update:  Gov. Chris Christie has brought up the civil rights connectiion himself.  He has said:

"The fact of the matter is, I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South."

This has sparked outrage.

(via JoeMyGod)