Editorial Of The Day

From the Des Moines Register editorial board:

At a press conference last week, Gov. Terry Branstad reiterated his long-held belief that Iowans should be allowed to vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. "It has been blocked in the Senate by the Senate leader," the governor observed. "It's up to the people to decide who they want to send to the Legislature, and if they want (leaders) who are going to give the people of Iowa a chance to vote on this issue. ... I think the people of Iowa should have a chance to vote on this." At first blush, the governor's stance seems reasonable. After all, what's the harm in letting people decide an issue for themselves? But consider the implications of his suggestion. If Branstad were to have his way, a majority of Iowans could simply go the polls and, with the stroke of their pen, deny certain constitutional rights now afforded a specific class of citizens. That is a fundamentally un-American concept. If that flag on Branstad's lapel stands for anything, it stands for the freedom and rights that are guaranteed to all Americans — gays and lesbians included — and not just to the Americans we happen to like.

The editorial closes with photos of the lesbian couple who married in Iowa earlier this month after 72 years together.