Despite Barack Obama’s big victory in the presidential race, Election Day wasn’t a total loss for social conservatives. Those of us who believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage and oppose government-mandated quotas by race and gender have much to carry away from Election Day and be thankful for as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.
Gay marriage was banned by constitutional amendments in three states. The most surprising was the passage of Proposition 8 in California, where opponents of the amendment had overwhelmingly outspent its advocates. In addition, it was opposed by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and a host of high-profile celebrities. Many other states had previously passed such amendments, but this represents the first time it has happened in a state where gay marriage had already become legal by court order.
Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court had invalidated a state law that outlawed gay marriage, opening the way for thousands of same-sex couples to get married. Due to the passage of this amendment, however, California stopped issuing them marriage licenses on Wednesday. The unions of those same-sex couples that had already gotten married faced an uncertain fate as of this writing.
The other two states that banned gay marriage on Election Day did so under some special circumstances of their own. Arizona had rejected such an amendment two years, having become the first state to fail in an attempt to constitutionally prohibit same-sex marriage. Florida’s ban went a step further than just ban gay marriage – it also denied civil unions legal equivalency with marriage. However, in Florida, constitutional amendments need a 60% majority to pass. It passed with 62% of the vote.
Citizens of Arkansas voted to prohibit unmarried sexual partners from adopting children or becoming foster parents. This ban applies both to homosexual couples and heterosexual couples who are living in sin, as well it should. Gays and lesbians often complain that such laws single them out for discrimination. However, they can’t use this argument against this measure passed by the voters of Arkansas.
Nebraska became the fourth state to approve an amendment to ban the use of Affirmative Action by state and local agencies. California, Michigan, and Washington had previously passed similar amendments. Employers and institutions of higher learning affiliated with the Nebraska state government or any local government within the state can no longer use race or gender as a factor in determining whom to hire or admit.
The time for the use of race and gender-based quotas in America has long since passed. What more proof does one need than the election of Barack Obama to the highest office in the land? How fitting that Nebraska passed its amendment on the day he was elected president! We have obviously arrived at the point where one’s qualifications are all that should be considered when he or she applies for employment or admission to a college or university. And what’s so bad about hiring or admitting the most qualified people? Is it not in everyone's best interest?
If the most qualified people happen to be all of the same race and/or same gender, so be it. Look at sports leagues like the NBA. Only a racist would complain about the fact that most of the players in the NBA are black. The NBA does not discriminate against anyone. It just so happens that most of today’s best basketball players are black. Reasonable people accept that.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, we have so-called Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) programs that blatantly discriminate against white males like myself in order to hire more minorities and females who may or may not be as qualified. The ironic thing is that this is carried out under the guise of anti-discrimination. Then I am told that, since white males benefited from many years of discrimination in their favor, I should be willing to accept reverse discrimination. The only problem is that I am too young to have ever gotten any advantage from the original form of discrimination.
Martin Luther King dreamed of a colorblind (and presumably gender-blind) society. With help from the good folks of California, Michigan, Washington, and now Nebraska, we have taken the first step. One can only hope that the other 46 states and the federal government will soon become enlightened enough to follow suit and join these states in their repudiation of race and gender-based discrimination. Unfortunately, at this point I would have to say fat chance!
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