Exactly five weeks before same-sex marriages are slated to begin on May 17, Massachusetts is only beginning to prepare to train its city and town clerks for the number of changes needed before gay marriages can take place.
The ridiculous delay in even beginning the training process will only result in future problems. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court specifically scheduled the date in an effort to allow the state six months to make proper preparations and changes for the day. Such changes must be made, as the clerks must undergo special training on how to deal with a number of issues that may arise beginning May 17. The courts will be overrun, both with couples wishing to wed and protesters wishing to stop them. Some clerks themselves may not really want to hand out marriage certificates to gay couples and will have to understand that they are legally required to do so as of May 17. The state – and more specifically Gov. Mitt Romney – has wasted the time specifically allotted by the SJC to address these issues and prepare for gay marriage by delaying the onset of the arrangements.
Instead of pushing the arrangements forward, Romney is still attempting to prevent the marriages from even taking place. He immediately announced his desire to circumvent the law and Massachusetts’ highest court’s decision wasting countless amounts of time and money. When Romney attempted to put a stay on the SJC’s ruling until after the proposed amendment banning gay marriages is put before voters’, Attorney General Thomas Reilly refused to take part telling Romney that he had no case. But according to The Boston Globe, instead of heeding his advice, Romney is still attempting to pursue “legal options.”
Romney must respect the court’s decision and stop searching for a legal loophole. While the people of Massachusetts elected Romney knowing full well that he was opposed to gay marriage, they did not elect him to evade the laws of the state and squander time and money in an effort to do so. The SJC ruled to provide gay couples with rights that they had been denied for years, and Romney cannot decide to delay the ruling simply because of his moral aversion to gay marriage.
Romney must stop skirting the issue and demand that training begin immediately. The state must immediately provide proper instruction to its clerks and explain that each clerk must set his or her ideologies about the issue aside and distribute marriage certificates to same-sex couples or be fired. While those who have attempted to begin preparing for such training without Romney’s support have done a commendable job, the training must take place statewide and Romney’s backing is needed to further it along.
The state cannot continue to waste time and money on an issue that, while important, has delayed other important issues such as the state budget. It is time that Romney and opponents of same-sex marriage set their opinions aside and work in the commonwealth’s best interest and prepare as best as possible for May 17. Enough time has been wasted and action must be taken now.
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