While Kevin correctly points out the LA Times “agenda driven jounalism” with regard to how they refer to the percentage of California voters who support preserving traditional marriage as a “narrow margin,” (even though it is actually 19%), they have also falsely repeatedly referred to “gay marriage” now being “legal” in California despite the fact that the initiative statute we the people passed in 2000 Prop 22, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, has not changed and can’t unless and until the sovereign voters in California either revoke or amend it via another initiative statute as per the California Constitution. Here is the letter I have submitted numerous times they have suppressed. If this isn’t journalistic malpractice, I don’t know what is. Regardless of how you feel about “gay marriage,” the fact of the matter is that it is not legal, and our politicians and especially our media have a solemn obligation to say so.
Open Letter to LA Times: Gay Marriage Not Legal In California, Massachusetts, or Anywhere Else in America by Gregg Jackson
Your story, “With gay marriage now legal in California, it’s the start of a couples’ crush,” in today’s LA Times, is totally false.
“Gay marriage” is not legal in California. We the citizens of California approved a voter initiative statute to define marriage as between one man and one woman in 2000. The judiciary lacks the requisite constitutional authority to overturn any statute passed by the voters. Only the voters themselves can revoke or amend an initiative statute they themselves voted to enshrine into statutory law as per the California Constitution. While the court is free to interpret the constitution of California and issue advisory opinions, they are not authorized to rewrite any of the laws.
Governor Schwarzenegger violated his sworn oath to only faithfully execute the laws and statutes of the state of California by illegally authorizing the illegal changes to the marriage certificates and illegally ordering Justices of the Peace and Town Clerks to solemnize and perform same sex marriage ceremonies without an enabling statute. I can guarantee you that if he had violated his oath this egregiously to advance an issue to which you were opposed, it would have been a front page above the fold story every day until he was removed from office. But we all know that the LA Times is among the most pro “gay marriage” newspapers in the country. So, it’s not surprising you turned a blind eye to his illegal actions.
Nevertheless, It is vital that you acknowledge that “same sex marriage” is not legal in California. Neither the people nor their elected representatives voted to amend or suspend the current marriage statute that limits marriage to “one man and one woman.” Until they do, it remains illegal.
And while you are at it, you can run a retraction for your inaccurate above the fold headline which ran on Sat May 17,2008, entitled “Massachusetts lives happily with same-sex marriage law,” by Elizabeth Mehren. The marriage statute (Chap 207) of the Massachusetts General Laws has not been amended to include marriage between two persons of the same sex. As I noted in a previous “letter to the editor” you chose not to run a few weeks ago, the Massachusetts Supreme Court didn’t even have subject matter jurisdiction to even hear the case in the first place which means that the Goodridge majority opinion it rendered is constitutionally null and void. And the marriage licences illegally issued by then Governor Romney are as null and void today as when he began to issue them in 2004.
Bottom line: “Gay marriage” is neither legal in Massachusetts nor California.
You have a solemn obligation to acknowledge these facts and run a retraction for your readers. Anything less is journalistic and legal malpractice.
Looking forward to seeing if you choose to run this letter and acknowledge the truth.
Sincerely,
Gregg Jackson
Los Angeles, CA