Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Gavin Newsom Buys Into Burger King Thinking

Gavin Newsom's name should go down in the annals of American history as one destructive guy. He's the newly elected mayor of San Francisco, the one who chose to ignore state law by allowing the issuance of marriage licenses to same-gender couples. (My rant here is not about gay marriage, although I don't support, it, of course. But that is another blog.) We are a nation of laws, and a law-abiding nation. Laws are the linchpin of the intricate mechanics of our way of life.

We pay our taxes and bills, raise our children to be respectful of authorities and leaders, obey traffic laws, live our lives in obedience for the sake of harmony and the greater societal good. We are a democracy where everyone has one vote and the majority stance is law, albeit interpreted by the judicial branch of government. In a democracy, we are not subjected to the tyranny of one individual opinion....our opinions matter in the collective, as expressed through our orderly system of laws. We elect government officials to enforce our laws, and to legislate new laws as a democratic body. We depend on our elected officials to be law-abiding citizens, just like all the rest of us.

Mr. Newsom doesn't agree with state law that marriage is to be between one man and one woman, so he just ignores it. He knowingly breaks the law because HE doesn't like it. The tyranny of the individual. As a result, 3,000 marriage licenses have been issued over the last few weeks to same-gender couples. Thusfar, Mr. Newsom hasn't been penalized one whit for his civil disobedience. He acts, regardless of legislated state laws....regardless of majority opinion...regardless of any democratic system of governance.

Like the Burger King slogan says, Mr Newsom is having it his way. And why not? After all, there are apparently no repercussions for breaking this law. He makes a mockery of our system of government.

What has Mr. Newsom taught us? Taught our children?

That it's acceptable to ignore laws we don't like. That democratic rules of governance only apply to less powerful citizens. That narcissistic will trumps collective wisdom, if one has enough political clout.

There's a word to describe a society where one need not follow the laws or rules......anarchy.

I say arrest Mayor Newsom for repeatedly and knowingly breaking the law. He should be treated just like the rest of us citizens.

Send emails to DeborahWhite@UniqueRecipes.com.

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