A historic day for gay marriage, and a busy one for pedicab operators

The constitution trumps the will of the voters.

An effective democracy advances the will of the masses while *protecting* the interests of its minorities under the law.

“A democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.”

Baaaa.

Equal protection clause in the constitution.

You can’t always rely on popular votes for civil rights issues. How do you think a popular vote on segregation would have gone a few decades ago in the south? How would do you think the state would vote if a measure was brought forth that would require all cyclists to register, pay a fee, and get licensed? It would probably pass, and then you would understand what tyranny of the masses feels like.

The majority should seldom be able to determine the rights of a minority. Direct democracy, blech, gag.

I don’t think that overturning the law was illegitimate, but I do wish we had a chance to re-vote on Measure 36 so we wouldn’t have to hear talk about subversion and judicial activism. I have no doubt gay marriage would pass by popular vote in 2014 Oregon. Not because of the Portland echo chamber, but because Measure 36 only got 56% of the vote in 2004, and support for gay marriage nationwide has grown tremendously in the last ten years.

But if you want to lay this on judicial activism, you can’t blame McShane. You gotta go to the SCOTUS. Gay marriage is 14 for 14 since the Supreme Court decided Windsor, because the Windsor decision didn’t leave much room for the states to move in.

It was rejected by a majority of Oregon voters a decade ago. A lot has changed in the last decade. You and I know the outcome would be different if the vote were held in 2014, and not 2004.

Not that we should be voting on it anyway. The civil rights of a minority should not be determined by majority vote. We are a republic with constitutionally protected freedoms, not a free-for-all in which everyone votes to vote on everything.

You meant stinky and expensive, right?

When I asked my experienced friend his advice on me getting a tandem for my fair-weather-cyclist girlfriend, his priceless words of wisdom were: “a tandem won’t ruin a relationship, it’ll simply take it to where it’s going that much faster!”