A Tyranny of the Majority?

As the fight over same-sex marriage in California continues, one term I hear thrown around often is "tyranny of the majority". Opponents of Proposition 8 use it to cast same-sex marriage opponents as unjust and oppressive.

"Tyranny" is a strong word. It most often describes government by a single person who illegally seized power and used it in ruthless, harsh and cruel ways to impose his will and maintain his position on those he governed. When listing the great tyrants of history, who questions the qualifications of people like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Josef Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot, Hipparchus, etc.?

So, was the vote that passed Proposition 8 tyrannical? Are the millions of voters who said "yes" ruthless, harsh, and cruel? Did they seize power illegally and use to impose their will on those they governed?

I hope you will pardon the rhetoric, but it does make the charge of "tyranny" seem rather absurd.

Voting yes on Prop 8 was no arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, no despotic abuse of authority. It was the simple exercise of the franchise available to all non-felons over the age of 18 who will bother to register. The election was free and fair, performed in compliance with all applicable laws. Every one of the millions of votes cast had the SAME weight, the same value. Neither side had any unfair advantage; the playing field was level, the referees impartial.

SO, tell me again how casting a "yes" vote for Prop 8 makes me, and the 7 million others like me, tyrants?

As an ultimate test, I ask the opponents of Proposition 8 this hypothetical question: If the election results had gone your way instead of mine, would you accept my stapling of the "tyrant" label to your forehead?

Enough of the slander already.