Marriage and Democracy in Massachusetts

A Townhall.com Commentary
By Hugh Hewitt

"Last year more than 170,000 Massachusetts voters signed petitions to qualify for the 2008 ballot an amendment--an amendment that would define marriage in the Bay State as between one man and one woman, as it was prior to the judicial decree from their state supreme court in 2003.

Thanks to the efforts of marriage activists and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts legislature on Tuesday finally held the vote which moves the measure forward to its next and last hurdle--another vote in the next legislative session. Same-sex marriage absolutists had urged Massachusetts legislators to use parliamentary tricks to halt the vote. At one point the legislature indicated that they were, in fact, going to deny the people a chance to vote.

It is by no means certain that the amendment will pass when and if it comes to the ballot in 2008. But it is clear that the people of Massachusetts want a say in what their laws will be. Legislators there and across the country should keep that simple but crucial message in mind."

Mr. Hewitt is right. People, generally, across the nation want, and should have, input on laws; and they are the ones who should decide what is socially and morally acceptable behaviors and standards for our our society - not lawyers and judges.