Thoughts And Reflections On Referendum Items

By Patrick Weadon

The Civil Marriage Protection Act

Those residents of our state who wish to obtain a marriage license should be able to do so, and being gay should not be an impediment to that process. Here’s why:

For centuries in the Western world, the act of marriage was a religious exercise. Over time, the act of pledging yourself to another was moved to the civil realm. Today, appropriately, religion plays no part in the state’s decision to issue any license, much less one having to do with marriage.

It is instructive to note that the legislation in question is entitled the “Civil (not Religious) Marriage Protection Act.” Applying a religious belief to determine who could and could not obtain a marriage license goes against our nation’s efforts to steer clear of the problems that can result from the state utilizing religiously based concepts to achieve secular ends.

Some claim that same-sex marriage should be banned because it goes against the traditions of society. Tradition has its place, but we need to remember that traditions aren’t always good. That’s why they change over time. Denying women the right to vote was a hallowed tradition for much of our nation’s history and, closer to the point, up until 1967, African-Americans and whites could not marry in this country because of a tradition that claimed God was against the “mixing of the races.” In short, traditions that enlarge the rights of the people should be treasured; those that do not should be jettisoned.

Times change; to deny same-sex couples the right to obtain a state- issued license based on what is, for many of our states citizens, outmoded metaphysical beliefs is an affront to the “concept of ordered liberty.” Freedom is merely privilege extended; let’s not deny our gay brothers and sisters the same rights in the civil realm that the rest of us enjoy.

Gaming Expansion Referendum

We need more casinos in our state, not fewer. Here’s why:

During the last two decades, the body politic of America has developed a blind spot when it comes to understanding the price required to maintain a viable society. Voters on both sides of the aisle have consistently voted to keep taxes low and services high.

In 2009, a Tea Party supporter told his local congressman at a town hall meeting to make sure “the government keeps its hands off my Medicare.”

Medicare as we all know is a government program that is going broke because of the failure of the American public to pay the true costs of the program. Put quite simply, Americans, Marylanders included, love services but they don’t want to pay for them. What to do?

One small but ultimately inadequate solution is to get the money from somewhere else. In this day and time, that somewhere else is casinos. Luxuries in our nation have always been taxed at a higher rate, and over the years our state has received loads of revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Why not add gambling to the mix? Having a casino near the Virginia state line will draw the patrons from that area, and they will spend their dollars at the tables and, in the end, our state treasury will see much additional and much needed revenue.

Those who are against the establishment of another casino are motivated not by concern for our state but by their desire to keep the lion’s share of the state’s gambling revenue for themselves. In short, casinos are not a panacea for our state’s financial problems, but the profits they produce will go a long way in helping our political leaders to maintain our state’s exceedingly high quality of life.

Congressional Redistricting Plan

This issue is easy. The current redistricting plan is an abomination and needs to be changed. Here’s why:

Periodically, legislative districts need to be redrawn to account for increases in population. That makes sense. The reality, however, is that in Maryland and the majority of the other states in our union, the district lines are drawn not to increase participation in our democracy but with the aim of increasing political power.

The rigging of legislative voting districts, or gerrymandering, is by no means a recent development, but the good news is we don’t have to continue on this path. No less a man than the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger had a solution before his fall from grace. The former governor developed a system for drawing districts that is far preferable to what we have in the state of Maryland today.

His plan would create a 14-person Citizens Redistricting Commission consisting of equal numbers of Democratic and Republican members to vote on redistricting plans. Schwarzenegger’s plan would reduce gerrymandering and make elections more competitive. Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City has noted that the proposal would bring about a “fair nonpolitical way of districting for elected officials.”

We are a long way from this process in our state, but throwing out the current configurations would be a good beginning.

In-State Tuition Rates For Illegal Immigrants

Providing in-state tuition rates for undocumented workers in our nation is a wise and prudent step. Here’s why:

To quote the former Archbishop of Baltimore, Edwin O’Brien, “We support in-state tuition rates for the immigrant students who meet the requirements of residency, tax-paying parents and attendance at a community college. We see that the education of these students provides future opportunities for them and their families and will help them become contributing members to American society. We know there are some who think the DREAM Act will add a financial burden to an already cash-strapped state. However, we believe the burden of uneducated youth is a greater risk. The recent census figures show the immigrant population exceeded estimates. It is obvious this situation is not going to go away. It will have to be addressed eventually. So, if not now, when?”

The archbishop is correct. How much longer can Maryland (and the nation, for that matter) ignore the fact that the very people whose lives they are so anxious to destroy are a vital part of our society, and like the immigrants of the past, they perform the work that most of us don’t want to do?

If someone is going to live in our midst, isn’t it wise to ensure they are educated? What do we gain as a state and a society by keeping our fellow human beings in ignorance?

In short, the DREAM Act is a wise and prudent first step in bringing immigrants out of the shadows and into the light of tolerance and reason. Mayor Bloomberg, who is the Republican mayor of what is perhaps the greatest city in the world, firmly believes that “We will not remain a global superpower if we continue to close our doors to people who want to come here to work hard, start businesses and pursue the American dream … The American dream cannot survive if we keep telling the dreamers to go elsewhere.”

Viva el DREAM Act!