Posted on: Friday, July 16, 2004

EDITORIAL
Congress correct to quash gay amendment

Thanks to a majority in the U.S. Senate, the distraction caused by a proposal to constitutionally ban gay marriage has failed.

There is much serious work to be done by Congress, and the gay marriage debate has been an unnecessary detour.

Not that the issue will go away. It is bound to be a focus in this fall's elections.

It is politically difficult to oppose the idea of a constitutional gay marriage ban because polls suggest a majority of the voters support the idea.

But there is broader support for concepts such as civil unions or partner benefits. Unhappily, the proposed amendment at one stage would have wiped these out as well.

We haven't heard a better argument against keeping the gay marriage issue out of the Constitution than the one offered by Hawai'i Sen. Dan Akaka, during floor debate. He said:

"The constitution I cherish and have sworn to uphold is not meant to be used as a sword against individuals or unpopular views. Rather, it is a shield intended to protect the rights of all citizens.

"I shudder to think of the tragic consequences for our nation if previous Congresses decades ago had yielded to the passions of the day and attempted to amend the Constitution in response to contentious court decisions."

Akaka has it right. Anyone concerned about the gay marriage issue should heed him carefully.