Lesson From Vermont --- Don't Cower - Push --- by Laura Flanders

[kpete]

Published on Thursday, April 9, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Lesson From Vermont: Don't Cower, Push

by Laura Flanders

They did it. On Tuesday the Vermont legislature formally recognized that civil unions are not the same as marriage. Forgive me for saying it, but I think the Vermonters have a thing or two to teach the Congress.

Mustering one more vote than the two thirds majority needed to override their Governor's veto, they passed a bill that grants same sex couples the freedom to marry, and became the first state in the nation to achieve marriage equality through legislation rather than the court.

What's it got to do with Congress? Merely this: there is such a thing as the courage of conviction. How many times have we heard that progress comes through conciliation? It's the ubiquitous refrain of political "framing" and "spin-meisters." "Go to where the middle is." How many anti-war activists, anti-poverty, pro-single-payer advocates have been told that progress comes from hugging the middle, not pushing the edge? You hear it now in Washington, around healthcare --- or the budget.

Go to where the bipartisanship is. It's the conventional wisdom. And often it's bunk.

...............

more at:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/09-12

[cali]

1. The VT dems in the legislature

are a much more uniform bunch, philosophically speaking, then the dems in D.C. And they're not subject to big money bribes. Furthermore, pro-marriage equality is where the middle in Vermont is.

Not that I don't think our legislators here aren't admirable, but the middle in Vermont is a different place.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. I like the message & suspect MLK said similar things.

Rec.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Didn't Vermont approve civil unions several years ago?

And wasn't it the example set with civil unions, showing that all the fears were totally unfounded, that allowed the further push to marriage equality?

When you're climbing a ladder you don't start on the 5th rung up. Civil unions are, unfortunately, a necessary lower step that makes the majority comfortable with marriage equality. That's what happened in California, and could yet happen in Iowa - too many felt it was being imposed on their culture by fiat, with the bypassing of that stage of acculturation. It provokes a push-back, setting the cause back possibly for years.

Now, I do think that Congress could play a vital part in the process - the repeal of DOMA, and establishing a principle for civil unions on a FEDERAL level, making civil unions truly equivalent to marriage in the US code. Many states would almost immediately follow with their own civil union laws, and a few would move on immediately to full marriage equality. Federal civil union law would allow the states to bypass that acculturation stage, while eliminating many of the legal arguments against it.

It is not a question of either cowering or pushing, but of pushing for the attainable or pushing for the unattainable. Start climbing from the bottom of the ladder, or you get nowhere.

[cali]

4. I disagree with you.

First of all, CA passed marriage equality twice. it was vetoed b the gov. Secondly, wonderful as the legislative victory was in Vermont, civil rights shouldn't just be left to the people to decide.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. In california, passed by the legislature, vetoed by the gov, and the

legislature not only unable to override the veto, but the PUBLIC voting to amend the constitution and make it forever illegal.

Whereas, OTOH, a civil union law WOULD have had the support of the majority of the population. Which is exactly my point. While civil rights should not be left to the people to decide, the fact is the majority population - particularly in California with its referendum laws - WILL decide what laws will be passed, so you can't go passing laws that they will turn around and reject.

In VT, they had civil unions for several years. People adjusted to the idea. They were psychologically prepared for the next step. If VT had tried for marriage equality eight years ago it would have been soundly defeated.

The perfect is the enemy of the good.