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February 21, 2006
so my efforts are not wasted...
hi again.
i wrote the following last week to the idaho statesman regarding the marriage amendment debacle, and they rejected printing it. since i spent time writing it, i wanted at least someone to read it, so i'm posting it here.
why do i still care so much about a state that is thousands of miles away from me (both physically and legislatively speaking). i guess you can take the boy out of idaho, but you can't take the idaho out of the boy. or something.
In a bold move that I’m sure took a lot of strength and conviction the legislature sent the constitutional amendment to restrict the definition of marriage to the people of Idaho. Senators voting on the bill said again and again that this is an issue that is best decided by the citizens and not by elected officials or “activist courts,” and, without a second thought, put the futures and well-being of the rights of a minority group in the hands of the majority. It stands to mention that this same majority’s wishes could not be trusted when it came to length of service for elected officials in the state, but, certainly, civil rights aren’t even in the same category. Arguments from those in favor of the amendment talked of the destruction of a societal foundation, and warned that this amendment would stop the state from sliding into moral chaos once and for all, and the citizens of Idaho could breathe a collective sigh of relief and live happily ever after, safe in the knowledge that a secular contract between two consenting adults would remain out of reach for a percentage of tax-paying individuals.
But something is, and will remain, rotten in the state of Idaho. Until the real issues are faced, none of this inconsequential grandstanding on the legislative fads of the day will correct the problems that are real, severe, and holding the state back from achieving its true potential.
In 2004 the Economic Research Service of the USDA reported that 15% of Idaho households experienced food insecurity, which is defined by the federal government as “not having access to enough food for ‘active, healthy living’." That means that there are 70,446 households in Idaho (roughly the same amount as in the city of Boise) that do not have enough food. According to the National Priorities Project only half of those experiencing food insecurity are participating in the food stamps program (which I believe serves only to bandage the problem anyway), so how is the other half surviving? There are children in the state of Idaho who are going to bed hungry each night, and the most passionate display of emotion to be found at the Capitol Building surrounds whether or not we should write a discriminatory and anti-family amendment into our state constitution? Isn’t there something wrong with this picture? How many children’s mouths will this amendment feed?
The sad thing is that the hunger prevalent in the state of Idaho is only scratching the surface of the mountain of issues with which the legislature should be concerning itself, and yet isn’t. However, it’s up to each citizen to make it known that this behavior and bending over backward to appease special interests is unacceptable. Find out your legislator’s voting record and compare it to where he or she receives campaign contributions. Look back and see if one of your legislators voted to repeal the will of the people regarding term limits, and then ask yourself how much they really trust you to make decisions for yourselves. Get involved to put the legislature back on track, and hold them accountable for making sure Idaho grows into a shining example for the rest of the U.S. to follow. Don’t let the special interests win--only you, the voter, can prevent that from happening.
Posted by Zach at February 21, 2006 04:36 PM