(no subject)
Ok guys: Opinions and insights wanted.
The back story is that there's a case before the New Jersey Supreme Court right now that has eight or so gay and lesbian couples suing the government of New Jersey to be able to get married. The Princeton Justice Project (PJP), a group of students, I can only assume, are dedicated to spreading justice, wrote an amicus curae (thank you Stanton!) brief in support of the plaintiffs, and petitioned the Princeton Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to sign on to it.
The USG was generally rattled and decided, instead of deciding themselves whether to sign on in support of the brief as the Princeton University USG, to put the issue up to referendum on Sunday's election ballot.
Now, the issue among the students here is this:
Is it the USG's business to sign on to this, and thus create a blossoming precedent for being petitioned to to God-knows-what in the future? And, is this issue even relevant to the Princeton student body?
Or,
Of course this issue is important, because of the nearly 11% of the Princeton population which is LGBT. And, no matter if we sign, if we DON'T, what kind of message will the USG be sending to the LGBT community? That they don't care about their welfare and status as second-class citizens? Besides, no matter the "jurisdiction" of the USG, isn't there a larger moral issue here that should supercede all bureaucratic concerns?
I have been inclined to support the latter position after much debate. Unfortunately, I think the majority of students on campus that SUPPORT gay marriage are inclined to support the former position because they don't believe that the USG should take a position like this.
Questions? Comments? This seems like a big deal, and could put Pton in the national spotlight if the referendum is successful (or not, for that matter).
The back story is that there's a case before the New Jersey Supreme Court right now that has eight or so gay and lesbian couples suing the government of New Jersey to be able to get married. The Princeton Justice Project (PJP), a group of students, I can only assume, are dedicated to spreading justice, wrote an amicus curae (thank you Stanton!) brief in support of the plaintiffs, and petitioned the Princeton Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to sign on to it.
The USG was generally rattled and decided, instead of deciding themselves whether to sign on in support of the brief as the Princeton University USG, to put the issue up to referendum on Sunday's election ballot.
Now, the issue among the students here is this:
Is it the USG's business to sign on to this, and thus create a blossoming precedent for being petitioned to to God-knows-what in the future? And, is this issue even relevant to the Princeton student body?
Or,
Of course this issue is important, because of the nearly 11% of the Princeton population which is LGBT. And, no matter if we sign, if we DON'T, what kind of message will the USG be sending to the LGBT community? That they don't care about their welfare and status as second-class citizens? Besides, no matter the "jurisdiction" of the USG, isn't there a larger moral issue here that should supercede all bureaucratic concerns?
I have been inclined to support the latter position after much debate. Unfortunately, I think the majority of students on campus that SUPPORT gay marriage are inclined to support the former position because they don't believe that the USG should take a position like this.
Questions? Comments? This seems like a big deal, and could put Pton in the national spotlight if the referendum is successful (or not, for that matter).