City of Sacramento Urges Court to Overturn Prop 8
SACRAMENTO, Calif --- Despite hundreds of thousands of "yes" votes from local residents in favor of traditional marriage, the Sacramento City Council voted 8-1 this week to add the city's name to a legal brief urging the California Supreme Court to overturn Prop. 8.
"It's astounding," said PJI Staff Attorney Matthew McReynolds, who addressed the Council at yesterday's meeting. "There is zero legal authority for a City Council to denounce the votes of its own people. Sacramento leaders clearly felt that they could ignore their constituents without any consequences."
McReynolds reminded the Council that, in Sacramento County, more than 289,000 residents-a solid majority—voted in favor of Prop. 8. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" ?>Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, noted, "We are at a point where the law seems to mean nothing to some of our elected officials. When local leaders declare a city officially opposed to a measure adopted directly by the people, our democracy is in jeopardy."
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One of the core principles of our country is that all people are created equal. Many of the founding fathers preached heavily against the "tyranny of the majority" on a minority. Sounds to me like the TRUE opponents of democracy are those who want to take away the rights granted by the court.
By the way, your article has no quotes from people outside the Pacific Justice Institute. Aren't you a little embarrassed by that? Maybe it's just me, but I tend to trust organizations that can pull support from....you know, people outside their organization?
Interestingly, one could make a case for same-sex marriages being a fundamental right.
I had no idea our fundamental rights were up to vote! Cool!