New Jersey? Don't Let Me Down

After nearly eight hours of public testimony, the New Jersey state Senate Judiciary Committee voted seven to six to send a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage to a vote before the full state Senate. That vote is set for Thursday.

Those who favor equality are racing to get the measure approved in the legislature and signed into law before mid-January, when Governor Jon Corzine, who said he would sign it, leaves office. Corzine, a liberal Democrat, was defeated in his re-election attempt last month by Republican Chris Christie, who has vowed to veto the bill.

Among those who voted against the measure, is asshat Republican state Senator Gerald Cardinale, who criticized the effort to get it passed before Corzine leaves office. He said Corzine's "mandate has been soundly revoked" by his loss at the polls.

Hey Asshat? Equality is the mandate, and should never be revoked.

But then Cardinale went further, stating that the governor shouldn't "attempt to engage in controversial, far-reaching, almost civilization-changing public policy decisions...."

Civilization changing? Me thinks he doth protest too much. Yet others who are against marriage equality point to the fact that New Jersey already offers same-sex couples the right to civil union.

Do not get me started on that! Take it away, Julian:

Civil Rights activist Julian Bond says, "At best, civil unions are separate but equal, and we all know separate is never equal." And he made mention of a gay couple, Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin of South Brunswick, New Jersey, who have experienced with insurance companies, state benefits programs and legal guardianship as they raised four children, two with disabilities, because they are not legally married.

Civil Unions are not equal. There will still be discrimination. It's marriage, and marriage only.