When opponents and advocates of a petition against gay marriage both speak out against an Aug. 23 Michigan Board of State Canvassers' decision, you know something is seriously wrong.

The petition to ratify the Michigan Marriage Amendment act was filed on time with 464,243 properly certified signatures - outstripping the required 317,757 signatures needed to put gay marriage before Michigan voters this November. The Citizens for the Protection of Marriage went about their petition campaign in the correct and democratic way.

The problem lies in the decision of two members of the Board of Canvassers to stall the petition's progress to ballots. By refusing to expedite the petition, the board was deadlocked, and for now, the ballot remains clear of a gay marriage amendment to the state constitution. The problem - the board's job is to certify signatures, not interpret the validity behind the measure they support.

For our part, as a paper, we agree with those baffled by the board's final decision.

Michigan citizens' right to organize, petition and ultimately place their issues on the ballot should be fiercely protected - regardless of the issue at hand. No backslide into government tyranny and loss of rights should be tolerated or allowed at any level.

While board members have, can and should be able to reject petitions if they are inadequately worded, there should not be an option for their political bias to flow into their decisions.

The proposed wording - "to secure and preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations of children, the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose" - is at least comprehensible. Everyone knows what the Citizens for the Protection of Marriage want - we're not confused.

Representatives from Coalition for a Fair Michigan, the group opposed to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, have expressed surprise about the decision.

Obviously, if everyone - liberal or conservative - is surprised, that action shouldn't be in the board's power. This represents a clear abuse of power for the board, should it have actually overstepped its bounds.

If this decision stands, is not challenged and the powers of the board are not reformed, then Michigan citizens would be effectively banned, at the whim of a four-person board, from putting anything worthwhile, or anything at all, on their own election ballot.

The deadline for a group of citizens to challenge the board's decision by filing a lawsuit in the court of appeals is Sept. 3. Given the explosive nature of the issue of a ban on gay marriage and the unprecedented ruling, conservative groups probably deserve a bit more time to challenge the board's decision - even if we think their platform is bogus.

Constitutional purists and advocates of gay marriage should trust in the power of our American democracy and the authority of the U.S. and Michigan Constitutions to ultimately reject such a potential infringement on civil rights.

A political system cannot work if small groups of individuals are given too much power and control over our lives and well being.