Iowa and House Joint Resolution 6

On the ground here in Iowa, it's not too much fun watching the state devolve back into the 80s. We are the oldest state in the union for average age, and there can be fall out from this, although I think it would be a mistake to suggest that all our steps backward could be laid at the feet of the elderly. My in-laws, for example, are in their 80s, and would never vote for any kind of constitutional amendment.

Before I talk about the amendment, however, I'd like to suggest that our state will have trouble yet again with moving forward. We had money ear-marked for a light rail in the Eastern Iowa corridor between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, and we were talking about improving train service to Chicago. Gone. We were talking about developing and investing in our emerging wind power industry. Gone. Taking care of children with a reasonable education budget? Gone. Providing all Iowa children with pre-school education. Gone. Why? Short-sited budget cutting rather than long-term planning. No investment in the state's future. A singular lack of vision. After the last election I wasn't worried about the national scene. Try what they might, Republicans in the US House can't get much past the Senate and, if for some reason, if it gets through that funnel, there's Obama. In Iowa, the scenario is more troublesome. We have a Republican controlled House and a Republican governor. This means we can get down to some serious conservative trimming.

While my concerns about the rest of the state's future are troublesome, I find myself less worried about the proposed constitutional amendment. Don't get me wrong. Gay rights ARE an important issue, and people who argue against them should see marked similarities between themselves and Strom Thurmond. Gay rights are the future. The paradigm is shifting.

What's up with all the sound and the fury? Well, there's always someone who doesn't want that paradigm to shift. A successful advertising campaign ousted 3 of the judges that interpreted that not allowing gay marriage is unconstitutional. One hopes any judge, liberal or conservative, would interpret the law similarly. People are stirred up, but mostly, as usual in such cases, there's a vocal minority who want to raise the issue.

What would it take for Iowa to make an addition to its constitution?

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Mirrored from Writer Tamago.