SOURCE:Fosters Daily Democrat

N.H. voters could get peoples' veto

Would allow citizens to override Legislature; gay marriage debate cited

By Adam D. Krauss

Sunday, January 17, 2010

DOVER — A group of state lawmakers want New Hampshire to take a page out of Maine's book and let citizens have the final say on laws.

Six Republicans have proposed a constitutional amendment for New Hampshire to become a referendum state so voters have the "power to repeal, at the polls independent of the Legislature, any act or part of any act passed by the Legislature."

The legislation, which will be the focus of testimony before the House Election Law Committee on Tuesday, is spurred in part by the state becoming one of five that allows gay marriage.

I have been arguing for months and months that marriage isn't something that can be outlawed. All the law can do is prevent such mutual commitments to be recorded in the public records. And, in addition to that being a violation of the equal protection demanded of the agents of government by the U.S. Constitution, there's no benefit to be derived from not making such a record.

We make records of all kinds of unsavory behaviors--murders and rapes and amputations. Why should people pledging to look after each other be an exception?

Seems like pledges are only good when they are coerced. People who do good on their own are to be discouraged.

That, if you want my opinion, is sick.