On the surface, allowing petition drives to force referendums and recall votes on unpopular decisions sounds like a great idea. When used wisely, it allows citizens to force votes on questionable governmental deals, horrible policies, overturn specious laws and sweetheart deals.But unfortunately, far too often over the last twenty years the right wing has been using the referendum process to do preemptive strikes to curtail GLBT civil rights or overturn passed civil rights laws for marginalized groups it doesn't like.
If the abuse of referenda were as prevalent back in the day as it is now, Jim Crow segregation would still be around and women wouldn't be voting.
So what do we do about the situation? As I've said before, the best defense is a good offense. The right wingers aren't the only people who can propose referendum and ballot initiatives.
So I propose we get them to spend money fighting a progressive ballot initiative. It would contain language that would ban the practice of putting people's civil rights up for a majority vote.
You know something, why stop at a ballot initiative or state constitutional amendment? How about having it ensconced in the United States Constitution as well?What it would do would kill any future attempts at putting amendments on the ballot that have the effect of the majority voting to take away civil rights granted to protect a minority group.
And conservafools, y'all can hate on the idea all you want, but 2050 is coming sooner than you think, and you know what they say about karma.
It's past time for a constitutional amendment that would ban the practice of putting people's civil rights up for a majority vote