Despite the language used in the recent editorial on the voluntary supplement to the oath of office, this supplement isn't just about the City Council members swearing to uphold the constitutions of the United States and the State of Wisconsin. It is also about the hundreds of citizen-volunteers who serve on committees, commissions and boards who are appointed, not elected.
I think the fear of the use of the supplemental statement as a ""litmus test"" is far fetched. We already know how most council members feel about gay rights and same-sex marriage and civil unions from their past actions on Council business and their very public statements on the Council floor.
Here's a further question to ponder: Can a Madison resident enter into a same-sex marriage or civil union in another state and have their oath to the constitution taken seriously? Or have we created two classes of citizens—those who can fully serve in local government in full capacity, and those who cannot?
Dan Ross
Information Processing Consultant
Institute for Research on Poverty
