Burnt Orange Report

All Major TX Newspapers Against Prop 2

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

What do El Paso, San Antonio, Galveston, and Lufkin all have in common? Newspapers that came out in opposition to Constitutional Amendment 2 today. The means that every single major statewide newspaper has endorsed a vote AGAINST Prop 2. Lufkin, happens to be represented by Sen. Todd Staples, the Senate author of the amendment.

Also, we have finally seen our first Texas newspaper (and I can't believe I'm actually saying this is the first one being the day before voting starts) which has endorsed a yes vote- The Amarillo Globe News, though the arguments are very short. Here's your clipped roundup...

El Paso Times: Vote NO. It's redundant, already addressed in Texas law.

San Antonio Express News: Marriage does appear to be in trouble in Texas, but it is hard to see how gays have jeopardized the sanctity of the union between a man and a woman.

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Because it could create unnecessary legal problems in a misguided — and discriminatory — attempt to strengthen marriage, voters should reject the amendment.

Galveston Daily News: The Daily News has opposed this idea for a long time. We’ve got one reason: Government should stay out of the private lives of people.

Before you get caught up in the rhetoric of this debate, ask a simple question. What, exactly, is the compelling reason for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage?

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Yes, a high percentage of marriages end in divorce.
Yes, deadbeat parents don’t pay child support.
Yes, almost a third of the children born today are born out of wedlock.
Yes, an alarming number of traditional families suffer from abuse and violence.

Those are sad facts about the American family. But how can anyone presume that gays and lesbians are responsible? Don’t all those facts reflect on the behavior of heterosexual people, rather than on homosexual people?

Think about the claim that failing to pass this amendment will undermine marriage. Does anyone really foresee that heterosexual men and women will stop marrying?

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Government should afford gay people the same rights that other people have. Government should not guarantee rights to some — and then make them off limits to others. Government should not pass laws that restrict personal freedom.

When government must restrict someone’s freedom, there ought to be a compelling reason for doing so. The reasons given in favor of a ban on gay marriage don’t meet a very high standard for clear thought. They’re not even close to compelling.

Lufkin Daily News: The amendment that is drawing the most attention is Proposition 2, co-authored by state Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine, who represents our area.

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But we have long favored allowing gay couples to join in civil unions that provide them the same legal protection that married couples have in terms of health benefits, inheritance, etc., without having to draw up expensive legal documents to obtain those rights. And that's why we oppose this proposition. The second half of the proposition bans governments from recognizing any "legal status" similar to marriage.

That goes too far. The amendment will be used to discriminate against a class of people that make up a significant number of productive Texas citizens – all in the guise of "protecting" marriage.

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Proponents say the law banning same-sex marriage isn't sufficient, because a judge could overturn it. First off, as another editorialist pointed out, no Texas judge is going to overturn a ban on same-sex marriage, because that likely will be the last term of office he or she serves. Second, a state amendment can still be overturned by a federal judge as being a violation of the U.S. Constitution. The ultimate arbiter is the U.S. Supreme Court, which is where this issue will likely be decided once and for all.

The Jacksonville Daily Progress also had a staff writer editorialize against Prop 2, though I don't believe the paper has taken an endorsement otherwise. The title? Gay marriage, big whoop.

Update:I can thank the Aggies for something, even though we will beat them on the ballfield in a few weeks. The Byran-College Station Eagle endorsed a NO vote on Prop 2 as well, joining the Daily Texan in encouraging defeat of this amendment.