I have been a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations since 1981. In 1992, I was elected president of the commission and I served in that capacity for one year, and for the last 18 years on the commission my record for equal rights for all speaks for itself.
At its Nov. 15 meeting, only eight of the 15 commission members were present when the vote was taken to recommend that the board oppose Proposition 22, the “Limit on Marriage Initiative.” There is one vacancy on the commission. And for the record, the vote was 5 to 3 to go on record to oppose this initiative.
Although I write this letter as a private citizen, I am also authorized to speak on behalf of the other two commissioners who voted the same way that I did.
For the record, it is my feeling that the system should establish a legitimate process in order to give everyone living in a domestic partnership capacity the right of survivorship and insurance protection. I am puzzled as to how anybody could imply that a proposition that simply states that only the marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California causes discrimination against anyone. There is nothing homophobic about desiring to maintain traditional family values. I also do not believe that the presence on the ballot of Proposition 22 has proven to be extremely divisive and provocative of intolerance discrimination and hostility. And I know many people that feel the way I do and say nothing in order to be politically correct.
I noted that on the list of people against Proposition 22 was the name of Vice President Gore, but he also stated that the definition of marriage should not be changed to include a homosexual union.
Political correctness aside, for religious and moral reasons I cannot deem same sex marriage acceptable and for all those reasons I did vote at the meeting of the Human Relations Commission on November 15 against the motion. And I intend to vote for Proposition 22 at the next election.
And in closing let me remind everyone that the downfall of the Roman Empire was when they started to lose their morality.
Vito Cannella