Friday, December 4, 2009

Gay marriage legislation proposed in New Jersey

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) just announced that New Jersey will be the latest state to vote on whether to legalize gay marriage. Not coincidentally, the decision comes less than a month after Republican Chris Christie, who has vowed not to sign the bill, was elected governor, and two months before he will take office.

With this appointment, prepare yourself for the latest battle of the bands --- Anscombe v. LGBT Center --- as both groups, known for their outspoken activism, are virtually guaranteed to begin postering, e-mailing, web-updating and Facebook-inviting to their hearts' content.

Given the cliched apathy of the campus, though, it will be interesting to see how many Princeton students know, much less care, about taking an active stance in the issue. Such a nationally significant issue carries the potential to reach down to all levels of society. Even in our Orange Bubble, professors like the philosophy department's Kwame Anthony Appiah are centered in the ideological maelstrom, and every year undergraduate students exercise their prerogative to marry whom they choose.

But the number of Princeton students who engage politically in New Jersey is startlingly low. One only has to look at the recent Borough Council race of Mendy Fisch '11 to see the exception that proves the rule. Because let's face it, in the wake of weekly problem sets, papers and exams, who has the time to, well, pay attention to the news, much less act on it.

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