Opinion – Marriage Equality Comes to New Jersey

Usually, we, the WOBM airstaff, use this forum for entertainment and information. Every now and then though, there's a topic that has to be discussed from an opinion standpoint. This is one of those times.

Early last year, the New Jersey Senate and Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in The Garden State. Governor Christie promptly vetoed it.

A majority of our elected officials voted to pass a law - the way that democracy is meant to work - but one man negated that because of his personal opinion on the topic. All along, the Governor argued that the issue of marriage equality should be a public ballot question for New Jerseyans to vote on.

In other words, our Governor's opinion is that the rights of a minority should be approved by the majority.

Let's think about if that was something that had been exercised throughout history - do you think that women would have gotten the right to vote if the question was put up for the general public to choose?

How about other equality issues throughout history? Race, etc.

Whether the measure would have passed at the polls or not, it's completely inappropriate to put the rights of one small group of Americans up for everyone to decide on.

After the state Supreme Court refused to halt the issue of same-sex marriage licenses after a lower court ruled in favor of marriage equality, Governor Christie vowed to fight the injunction and to continue to fight the issue.

Today, the Christie administration dropped their challenge.

Some are applauding the Governor for his "support". I, however, beg to disagree. I think that the Governor saw a fight that he knew he wouldn't win in the long run. Rather than be on the losing end of the case and history, he decided to cut his losses. Of course, not before putting in one more public comment against the issue, with his spokesman saying,

Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law.

Wait, didn't "the elected branches" already pass the marriage equality bill anyway?

Doesn't sound very "supportive", does it?

Whether Chris Christie likes it or not, true equality is now the law of the land in New Jersey, the 14th (and last in the region besides Pennsylvania) to legalize marriage equality.

All New Jerseyans are now free to pursue everything that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" stands for.