California's Legislative Defect

The chief justice of the California Supreme Court, Ronald M. George, lamented California's reliance on constitutional amendments voted on by the people as a defect of the legislative system in the state.

Though it might seem as an example of a direct democracy, there is no limit to what measures can be placed on the ballots, nor on the bigotry of the voters who vote for it. Just last year, for instance, Californians voted to rob homosexual couples of their civil right to marry and to enjoy the same privileges accorded by marriage to their heterosexual counterparts. I hope the passing of Proposition 8 serves as a warning to future attempts at curbing individuals' civil rights.