Howard Dean: Grant Marriage Rights to All

by Michael Jones · 2009-03-31 10:54:00 UTC
Topics:

Dean

Oh, if only he would have said this while Chair of the Democratic Party.  Still, Howard Dean has just joined Chuck Schumer as the two most influential Democrats who now support marriage equality (IMHO).  Here's the scoop from the Burlington Free Press:

A boisterous crowd cheered former Gov. Howard Dean's support of Freedom to Marry legislation and health care reform Saturday at a Vermont Democratic Party reception at the Hilton Burlington...

"Vote your conscience, not your district," he advised legislators.

"Stand up for doing the right thing; for being a human being," he continued. "Put human rights above politics -- because if you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your political career."

Wow, what a lesson for legislators, or for any entity (hello, California Supreme Court) dealing with the issue of same-sex marriage.  Put human rights above politics.  Do the right thing regardless of the consequences.  Respect the dignity of the human being over the expedience of politics.

Those are the same principles that led Howard Dean in 2002 to speak out against the Iraq War, and today he's considered a champion and a pioneer for doing so.  Politicians - both Democrat and Republican - would be wise to follow his lead again, lest they be on the wrong side of history.

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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