101 Pages to Go

Yesterday I started reading the California Supreme Court's lengthy decision declaring Proposition 22, the measure passed by California voters in 2000 defining marriage as between a man and a woman, unconstitutional. I know this issue polarizes people and can quickly create an atmosphere opposed to civilized discourse, and lately I have been thinking somewhat about the various sides of the issue.

Some people have voiced their displeasure at "the work of arrogant activist judges" seeking to overturn the will of the people. Others announce that homosexual organizations are plotting to destroy the family and everything we hold dear. I think both opinions are extreme and not likely accurate of what is going on.

I decided to start reading the actual written decision to see how it could inform me on the situation and the thought processes of the California Supreme Court justices. I opened the pdf and saw that it was 172 pages long, and I doubted that I would do much more than skim through it. I started reading at the beginning and was quickly fascinated. The Chief Justice's writing is clear and usually very easy to follow, and that helped me understand from the very beginning where the justices were going with their approach on the issue and how to logically follow their explanation.

I have read 71 pages of the decision so far, and it has been an oddly pleasant experience. I'm not going to get into the politics of the matter yet, or maybe ever, but I would recommend to those who want to educate themselves on this issue to read the actual court decision. It is very easy to access on the internet and will provide an excellent understanding of this case, precedents of past cases, and the reasoning used by the justices.

Knowledge and education are the keys to a successful democracy. We're lucky to live in an age when we can choose to educate ourselves with relative ease and such tremendous resources at our fingertips.