Dear Rhode Island: Your Governor Sucks

Boo, hiss:

Angering gay rights supporters, Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri Tuesday vetoed a bill that would give same-sex couples the right to plan the funerals of their deceased partners.

Calling the bill a "disturbing trend" toward the erosion of heterosexual marriage, Carcieri said the decision should be left up to the voters.

"If the General Assembly believes it would like to address the issue of domestic partnership, it should place the issue on the ballot and let the people of the State of Rhode Island decide," Carcieri said in a letter to lawmakers.

That's so wrongity-wrong-wrong that it's like a very wrong thing made of wrong parts with lots of little wrong bits all over it. I just feel like I cannot say this enough: Putting that up to a vote which is subject to deeply held prejudice is ruling not by democracy, but by mob mentality.

I just can't even believe shit like this is up for fucking debate in a society that fancies itself civilized. No less that the debate yields a bill with horseshit provisions like "requir[ing] couples to be in a relationship for at least one year and meet other criteria, such as owning property together." No less that even with those horseshit provisions, it's still too "radical" for Governor Privilege and his Merry Band of the Desperately Insecure, who are positively panic-stricken about their super-special relationships losing the shimmering, golden glow that can be conveyed upon their gloriously gilded unions only by denying equality to same-sex couples.

Anyway: "Democrats have a veto-proof majority in the Rhode Island General Assembly and the bill sponsors said they will seek to override the veto." Good.

[H/T to Shaker Koach.]