Mayor Cory Booker, in an elegant and forceful way, says exactly why human rights shouldn’t be put up to a vote. There have been moments in America’s history when just about any group’s rights would have been taken away if put to a popular vote. Irish immigrants, Japanese immigrants, Catholics, women, blacks, interracial couples, and now queer folk, the list of people who’s rights would have been taken away if put to a vote is long. Our history is basically the history of each of these groups fighting for equal rights.
The daily show really sums it up perfectly.
There are so many people in this country that fought tooth and nail to get the rights that are supposedly given to all. And after that long hard struggle so many of them seemed to be perfectly happy to turn around and ignore other groups fighting a similar fight.
Gay rights are not just for gay people, they reflect on us as a nation. Until every citizen has the same full legal rights, none of us are really living up to our potential as a nation. Thanks Mayor Booker for laying it out so clearly.
