All of us need to be activists

I think Alfred Doblin hits this on the head today in The Record in calling out the Democrats for their inaction — both in New Jersey and nationally — on marriage equality. Consider: same-sex marriage is legal in three states — California, Connecticut and Massachussets — but only because the courts in those states got fed up with the political gamesmanship and said equality means equality. (The New Jersey court essentially agreed with the others, but punted when it came time to call it marriage, allowing the Legislature to weasel out.)

The Republicans, of course, are open about their homophobia. Most — there are exceptions, like state Sen. Bill Baroni — have jumped on the “mand and a woman” bandwagon, and turned their guns on activist judges and activist courts. Doblin rightly condemns these assaults, but reminds us that while the GOP has played to its red meat constituency, the Democrats have actually remained rather silent.

Democrats are so good at courting the gay vote that they manage to convince gays and lesbians that they will get a better deal with them. Not really so. Democrats have done little to change federal laws and policies that prohibit homosexuals from serving in the military or receiving the same federal benefits that married couples enjoy. It was a Democrat who created “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Democrats control our state Legislature and when given the choice between civil unions and marriage, they didn’t say “I do.”

As with so many issues, however, we’ve ceded our willingness to fight on behalf of what’s right to politicians, who by their very nature are incapable of placing the larger good above their own political interests. That’s why we need to agitate and protest and generally be big and noisy and visible. That goes for fighting for marriage equality, an end to the war in Iraq, a more populist and progressive economic stimulus, green jobs.

This could involve voting for a third-party candidate, though that is likely to create some dangerous side effects (witness the last eight years). Or it could involve just getting of our couches and making our voices heard. As Doblin writes:

A hate-driven constitutional amendment may pass through a Congress that is pandering to a constituency of hate-filled voters, but it cannot become law without a majority of Americans agreeing with the hate. Disenfranchised Americans only become part of the franchise when they take control themselves.

Americans may be disgusted with eight years of Bush, but there have been no massive protests across the nation, no loud cry from tens of thousands of citizens for impeachment or even an end to the war in Iraq during those eight years. Palin, who went from mayor of Wasilla to governor to vice-presidential nominee, doesn’t lack for gumption. The same cannot be said of most Americans.

There are “activist courts” because an inactive citizenry allows injustice to continue. Blaming Connecticut won’t change that.

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet