Will Maine Run Away With the Spoon?

Philip Spooner is discussed in this entry by Karin Klein in the Los Angeles Times' opinion blog. She calls him an "unlikely folk hero". But first she sets the stage.

On Tuesday, voters will decide whether to go along with the Legislature's legalization of same-sex marriage in the state or whether to kill it via a "people's veto."

Or, in other words – will they go along with the legislature's neutering of state marriage licensing, or will they defend marriage by keeping bride+groom marriage licensing?

If voters defeat Question 1 -- meaning if they affirm the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry -- Maine will become the first state to support same-sex marriage at the ballot box. So far, such marriages have been legalized only through court rulings or legislative action.

Hopefully, the confusing ballot language will not cause anyone to unwittingly go along with neutering of marriage, and they will instead do the right thing and vote "YES".

[More after the jump.]

Spooner, a lifelong Republican, and his late wife raised four sons, one of whom is gay. It's unthinkable to him, he said in the tremulous voice of old age, that three of his sons will enjoy rights denied to the fourth.

While I am thankful for his service in World War II, this statement is a red herring. His homosexual son has the exact same access to state marriage licensing as his other sons. That he doesn't want to exercise that access does not mean it isn't there. He has the same access to getting a driver's license, but if he doesn't want to drive, he's not going to get it. He has the same access to a hunting license, but if he doesn't want to hunt, he's not likely to want it. He has the same access to a medical license, but if he can't stand the sight of a dead body or of blood, he's not likely to want to take the steps to get it. Likewise he has the same access to a marriage license, but if he doesn't want to find a bride, then he doesn't need a marriage license.

"This is what we fought for in World War II," he said, "that idea that we can be different and still be equal."

And there's probably a WWII vet somewhere who is a Democrat who has a homosexual son or daughter and still understands that marriage unites the sexes and the state marriage licenses should reflect that. His experience and service do not change truth, no matter how emotional he may get. In that equality he has fought for, he gets one vote, and so does any other legally registered Maine voter.

Let's hope Maine voters have been a big part of Spooner's Internet audience.

Let's hope, for the sake of future generations, marriage is kept intact by the voters of Maine voting YES on 1.

There are comments posted, including a couple from our regular commenter John Howard. You can imagine how those were received.