Posted on 10/28/2008 6:33:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
If Prop. 8 wins, Newsom will be scapegoated. But the recriminations should focus on Ronald George.
I voted against Proposition 8, just as I voted against Proposition 22 in 2000, on equality-under-the-law grounds. I hope the anti-gay-marriage constitutional amendment fails on Tuesday.
But I'm increasingly beginning to suspect it will pass. Backers have mounted a shrewdly framed TV ad campaign that doesn't have the harsh edge many expected from die-hard opponents of gay marriage. Its focus on the possibility that school kids might be taught about gay marriage has touched a chord among parents. (No, I don't think this claim is preposterous, given how our legal and education communities work. I just don't find the prospect particularly scary.)
Prop. 8's odds have also been greatly increased by vast donations pouring in from the country from cultural and religious conservatives who see the fight as pivotal to preventing gay marriage becoming the norm around the nation and even the world. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told The New York Times that Prop. 8 was "more important than the presidential election."
So the stakes are high -- and the recriminations will be intense if Prop. 8 succeeds. I think San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will be haunted forever by his braying, arrogant soundbite after the May state Supreme Court ruling declaring gay marriage legal in California: "The door's wide-open now. It's gonna happen, whether you like it or not!" It was off-the-charts smart for the pro-8 forces to replay the clip over and over in their ads.
For my money, though, any recriminations should focus on California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George. This state was gradually moving toward a gay-marriage consensus. But it just wasn't there yet when George, in his own way, declared it's gonna happen, whether you like it or not.
I found George's legal reasoning to be sound and persuasive. But given his past moderation and unadventurousness, his decisive vote to impose gay marriage on California was deeply uncharacteristic. It may well have been principled. Yet given George's history, it looks far more like posturing for the history books than anything else.
There's a lot of that going on around at the highest levels of state government. The guy at the top of the executive branch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) hunted for global acclaim by signing sweeping, unprecedented climate-change legislation and by pushing a sweeping, unprecedented (and plainly illegal) health insurance mandate. The guy who used to be the most powerful leader of the legislative branch (Fabian Nunez) hunted for the same acclaim by working with Arnold on both his crusades.
This spring, it was the guy at the top of the state judicial branch's chance to bask in global acclaim -- and Ron George jumped at the opportunity. But he may have hurt the cause of gay marriage far more than he helped it.
No. I think you're stating that you have no position is the same as voting present.
I think you're actually voting No is actually taking a position.
Basically, I was taking a shot at comparing you with Obama.
Underhanded, maybe, but still over your head.
And, welcome to FR. Enjoy your stay.
These articles represent more than your third-grade legal theory of happiness or id-based marriages.
I don't see groups of queers or whatever. I see people as individuals with individual rights. Not all people are extreme and some just want what you want, to be left alone by a bunch of busy bodies.
I am afraid my votes don’t count. What is the point to democracy in this country, when every vote the establishment doesn’t like is declared null and void.
Why wouldn’t they want to marry if it’s such a beneficial thing?
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There is a gay couple in my complex who have been together almost 40 years who voted yes on 8. I questioned them about their yes vote and they said they are registered domestic partners, have drawn up all the legal papers such as wills, living wills, power of attorney etc. They seem to view marriage as a church blessing that they don’t need or want. Marriage, in their view, should be between one’s church and the couple. All others should be domestic parnerships which suits them just fine. Those who view religion negatively shouldn’t seek relgious blessing on their relationship. Let the church decide who to marry. Government has absolutely no business deciding issues of churches and their congregations. This is their thinking which surprised me somewhat but it made me aware that no all gays are radicals with an agenda. They want only to live their lives and be left alone and not be physically harmed like they were in years past. Militancy on either side only fans the flames of conflict. Palm Springs has a huge gay population, many retired and most in long term relationships.
Have you ever heard someone say the point of marriage is happiness? You got married believing the purpose of your spouse is only to make you happy? I just can’t believe you reached whatever age you are at with such a naive view of life.
That's too bad. For many of us, we don't want children in kindergarten taught about gay marriage, nor do we want children attending a gay wedding as a field trip which has already happened. Nor do we want schools telling parents they can't opt their children out of pro-gay material and events taught in school.
Since there is no scientific evidence to support the born that way theory, and the scientific studies continue to state environment is key, plus the growing ex-gay population, we as a society should not condone gay behavior, rather, we should encourage people to not act on their same-sex attraction.
The Three Myths About Homosexuality
Root Causes, Homosexual Consequences
I read it in some paperswritten by some great people. Perhaps you read it to leave out certain groups. That's the original intent isn't it. We'll that was 230 years ago. Let's call the slaves in from the field and the women out of the kitchen and remind them who they are.
I've read some studies that if we put all criminals in jail for life, regardless of crime committed, it will greatly reduce crime. There's still some studies around that show some juveniles are more likely to commit crimes than others. I say let's lock them all up, because the studies clearly support limiting their freedom.
Why should I pay for that? If I have a right to be married, the state of California should not take away my rights.
It's my understanding Cal law already gives parents that option. If not, where so I sign the petition? You should already be doing this gay marriage or not.
I didn't say how people were or were not born and it has nothing to do with my position.
If they just wanted to be left alone, they wouldn't have gone to court in the first place. They were the "busy bodies" in this case. And they're the ones trying to harness raw government power to suppress individual rights.
Can you name a jurisdiction where recognition of same-sex "marriage" has led to more "libertarian" government, more freedom, less restrictions on individuals, etc.? It certainly hasn't panned out that way anywhere.
A friend of mine recently moved to Sweden. He married his Swedish wife and now has a baby with her. So he is the exception.
No one ever had the right to get married in this country (and state). Something is not a right, just because you decide it is. Nice straw man distractions.
Boy, he is really outing himself as a foreigner.
The question has already been raised, but you have not responded on point. Do you believe that marriage between brother and sister, or father and daughter, or mother and son should be legal? If not, why not?
What next? An initiative restricting freedom of speech and religion to see if the majority still wants to let us speak out?
This is the core reason I will not vote to put a restriction in the Cal constitution.
It's not.
I know people who don’t want to marry also. The point is it is their choice. Not ours or the majority or what the older people wnat.
"You got married believing the purpose of your spsouse only to make you happy?"
The you changed marriage to "your spouse." Do you remember when I wrote the multiple choice question? How could you possibly try to get away with adding the word "only" in that sentence. You can do better than that.
I agree with everything you posted, and that is why I am voting Yes on 8.
If 8 fails, then a small unique subset of the gay community ... let's call them the gay-marriage-enforcing-busybodies ... will seek out Christian wedding businesses... just look for the Jesus Fish in the ad! ... and attempt to secure their services for their wedding ... whether real or imagined.
When the Christians refuse on religious grounds the busybodies will pounce on them with their lawyers.
The Christians will be out of money and out of work. The coffers of the HRC will be filled and you will continue on blithely unaware because you don't work in the wedding biz or know anyone that does.
Good on you.
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