Prop. 8: San Diego mayor criticizes California high court's decision

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders criticized the California Supreme Court's decision today for supporting the idea that "some Californians have the right to take away certain rights from others."

"It's obvious that neither justice nor equality were on the court's agenda today," Sanders said in a statement.

Sanders, a Republican and former police chief, opposed the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage and appeared at rallies with his daughter Lisa, a lesbian. Although he had opposed gay marriage in the past, he held a tearful news conference in late 2007 to announce that he was "leading with my heart" and dropping his opposition.

Lisa Sanders, 25, told a news conference after the court decision that she will continue to work to legalize same-sex marriage and still plans to marry her partner.

-- Tony Perry
 

Comments

[LW]

Good for you, Mayor Sanders!!!! It takes guts to stand up and listen to your heart about what is right - not what the religious right TELLS everyone what is right. You hang in there!!

[jj]

If marriage were a civil right then his statement would have some credence. Unfortunately, marriage is a contract designed to promote a social institution, the nuclear family (one man, one woman plus their offspring). The restrictions on marriages are designed to promote civic order and stability and to protect the public health.

Personally I feel that the state should get out of the business and stop creating these contractual franchises we call marriages. If the church wants to do it, that is fine, but the state has clearly lost its ability to control the institution and it has become unnecessary and ineffective.