11/7/2008

in

Music star Etheridge insists she is being disenfranchised, and she has a valid point.

Mic Mell

On Election Day, the citizens of California passed Proposition 8, banning same sex marriage, a move that may invalidate all the gay marriages in the state. Now, one person is standing up in protest, and she has quite a bit of pull. Melissa Etheridge is refusing to pay her taxes, claiming she is a disenfranchised citizen. The singer wrote a scathing post on TheDailyBeast.com, saying, "\[S\]he and I are not allowed the same right under the state constitution as any other citizen. Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen. . . ."  
  
Etheridge has a point. She expresses confusion and contempt for the idea that governments are legislating morality, and claims she is a "second class citizen." She went on to say, "\[S\]ounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books. . . . There is a lot I can do with the extra half a million dollars that I will be keeping instead of handing it over to the state of California."  
  
One of the basic principles of our country is that we are paying taxes to empower the government to provide services, and protect our freedom. By banning gay marriage, the state of California has made an open statement that not everyone is equal. Of course, California is filled with celebrities and lots of cash, and those celebrities have the ability to speak their mind in a very public forum.  
  
Etheridge seems to be making a federal case out of it, and this issue may become a federal case. We may see the issue of same sex marriage hit the Supreme Court, and finally get a ruling that all people have the right to marry who they want.