Newark Mayor Cory Booker has criticized
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's call to let voters decide
whether gay people should have the right to marry.
Christie made his remarks as a bill
that would make New Jersey the seventh state to legalize gay marriage
cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee with an 8 to 4 vote.
Christie broke weeks of silence on the
issue on Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to put the question before
voters and vowed to veto the measure if it reached his desk.
“Let the people of New Jersey decide
what is right for the state,” he said.
(Related: NOM
cheers Chris Christie's decision to veto New Jersey gay marriage
bill.)
When asked by a reporter his thoughts
on the issue, Booker answered that he was opposed to the idea.
“Dear God, we should not put civil
rights issues to a popular vote to be subject to the sentiments and
passions of the day. No minority should have their civil rights
subject to the passions and sentiments of the majority. This is a
fundamental bedrock of what our nation stands for. We have created
in our state and refuse to address, and call it like it is, a second
class citizenship. Let's stop the ruse.”
“Don’t just point to the governor –
we had the chance to do this under the last governor, and we didn't
have the courage to stand up and do the right thing. It's about time
we create first-class citizenship for every American, plain and
simple. Every New Jerseyan. This should not be a popular vote.
This is something we should do now.” (The video is embedded in the
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