Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, vetoed a bill Feb. 17 that would legalize gay marriage in New Jersey.
His decision halted a recent expansion of Civil Rights for gay Americans.
State governments in Washington and California affected legislation in support of same-sex marriage at the beginning of February, and Illinois’s government filed a bill Feb. 9 that would extend same-sex marriage to its citizens.
Click here to read more about each piece of legislation.
Gov. Christie defended his veto, adding that an “issue of this magnitude” requires a Constitutional Amendment, which should be decided by popular referendum.
We disagree.
This argument seems like a scapegoat for Gov. Christie to avoid actually deciding on the issue.
Gov. Christie said he is in favor of same-sex couples receiving the same benefits as married couples, adding that discrimination should not be tolerated, according to The Star-Ledger.
We commend Christie for recognizing the discrimination against homosexuals and endorsing the expansion of their movement, but his words are incongruent with his actions.
Gov. Christie is delaying inevitable progress.
About 54 percent of New Jersey voters said in a poll released Feb. 14 that same-sex couples should be allowed to wed, read an article on Reuters.com.
In our indirect democracy, state citizens vote for a governor so that he or she may best represent his or her constituents.
The majority of the citizens that Gov. Christie represents clearly support same-sex marriage.
Gov. Christie had three days to recognize his citizens’ stance and vote in favor of it, instead of opposing it.
Oklahoma’s government also is looking at legislation aimed at homosexuals.
Rep. Mike Reynolds authored House Bill 2195 in January, which would reinstate the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the Oklahoma National Guard.
Most Oklahomans don’t hold similar views to New Jersey citizens. They typically oppose legislation in favor of Civil Rights for homosexuals.
While Oklahoma as a whole might support Rep. Reynolds, we feel that the university would oppose such legislation.
We host events such as Love not Hate Day that promote tolerance of all people.
If students think this policy or Gov. Christie’s decision is unjust, they should speak out.
Homosexuals need a more active voice in government.
Contact your local representatives and tell them how you think these decisions violate the rights of gay Americans.
