January 24, 2006 – Ocean County Observer
Editorial:  A decision Ocean can be proud of
 
Editorial:  A decision Ocean can be proud of
Ocean County Observer
January 24, 2006

It was a great day for democracy in Ocean County Friday, when the leadership of the Grand Old Party got together with the help of Ma Bell and decided to open its tent and the benefits of public employment to people involved in same-sex relationships.

Every advance toward tolerance in the history of the nation has been the result of a person of courage and difference who was not afraid to challenge the status quo.

For Ocean County it was Laurel Hester, who refused to die saying it was OK for her partner, Stacie Andree, to be denied the benefits that went without a whimper to the spouses of her married coworkers.

Her cause quickly found a charismatic leader, a white straight guy from Jackson, Dane Wells, whose life had depended often on Hester when they were partners fighting crime for the Ocean County Prosecutor.

Wells quickly mastered the mysteries of the Internet to put together a push across the globe for inclusion and against discrimination based on lifestyle.
If he was calm and reasoning, Steven Goldstein of Garden State Equality supplied the fire and passion that quickly blossomed into a series of protests targeting the refusal of the freeholders to extend pension benefits to domestic partners of law enforcement professionals.

Each time more and more people from Ocean County joined the protesters.

With one shameful exception: Where were the county's Democratic leaders on this one?

Monmouth County's all-Republican freeholders saw the light.

On the horizon loomed the prospect that the Jackson Township Committee would do the same.

On Friday, battling pneumonia from his recliner at home in Toms River, county Republican Chairman George Gilmore called a summit of the GOP leadership that led to the decision to readmit Ocean to the family of progress in New Jersey.

Politicians are proud men. They do not admit mistakes easily. They correct them even less often.

But that is what Ocean's freeholders have done and will do on Wednesday.

They will act swiftly where they refused to act at all because Hester's health is failing fast.

Her final days will be enriched by the joy of knowing that her life mate will be able to maintain their home after she is gone. Five men whose decency we never doubted, but whose judgment we challenged, have done the right thing.

Hester's courage has played a pivotal role, not only in their decision, but in the speed with which other public officials are putting an end to this discriminatory intolerance across the state.

They can change the laws, but they cannot change the bigoted views to which many still cling. Prejudices against blacks, Jews, women and Latinos linger, too.

Tearing down the institutions of bigotry is the work of government - work the freeholders will advance on Wednesday.

It was a great day for democracy in Ocean County Friday.