Gov. Schwarzenegger Shouldn't Diss Harvey Milk. Again.

by Michael Jones · 2009-08-20 07:31:00 UTC
Topics:

Harvey Milk

Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed an effort to create a state-sponsored "Harvey Milk Day," which would honor the late politician's legacy and advocacy for equal rights.  At the time, Gov. Schwarzenegger said that Milk wasn't a well-known enough figure to merit his own state day, and that instead activists should honor him on a local level.  This year, efforts are underway to create a statewide "Harvey Milk Day" again, but the Governor's reasoning that Milk isn't "well-known enough" won't fly this time around.  Not in the wake of Milk receiving a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.  Not in the wake of a major Hollywood movie that won several Oscars.  Not in the wake of tens of thousands of people urging the Governor to support the creation of "Harvey Milk Day."

Still, despite all of that, Gov. Schwarzenegger may just veto the effort again. And that's not only unreasonable, it's also wrong.

Equality California (EQCA) put out a petition yesterday that quoted California's Secretary of Education, who sent a letter urging the Governor to veto the bill that would create a Harvey Milk Day.  The letter reads in part, "As you know, the Governor vetoed a substantially similar bill last year. The veto message stated that Harvey Milk's contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level by those who were most impacted by his contributions. Since this bill is nearly identical, the veto message remains applicable."

But unless the Secretary of Education has been living under a rock this past year, the reasons that "Harvey Milk Day" was vetoed last year are outdated and no longer applicable.  Milk's profile, and his legacy as a champion for equal rights, have perhaps never been higher.  It would be wrong at best, and completely foolish at it worst, for Gov. Schwarzenegger to make the same mistake this year and veto efforts to keep Milk's legacy in the spotlight.

As Harvey Milk once said, "I fully realize that a person who stands for what I stand for, an activist, a gay activist, becomes the target or the potential target for a person who is insecure, terrified, afraid, or very disturbed with themselves."  Here's hoping the Governor isn't afraid of standing by the side of someone who fought hard for equal rights.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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