“What, pray tell, did they teach you in med school about the consequences of homosexuality?”
A fair amount! It’s a medical horror story. Could you explain what that has to do with the article we are discussing? Assuming the article is accurate, the story is about a proposal by the GOP in Texas to reintroduce sodomy laws which would ban certain adult sexual activities. I didn’t say such a move would be unconstitutional, simply unwise and unpopular.
And what’s with the European “troll” stuff? I am an American citizen with fairly mainstream views. I’m pretty sure if you were to take a poll among American conservatives about outlawing sodomy, banning all pornography, and closing down lap dancing clubs, most would tell you that even though they don’t approve of such things, they don’;t want the criminal law to interfere in such a way. In fact, that is the general view on this thread.
Exactly. Under the Tenth Amendment, the States have every right to outlaw these activities if they see fit. While the Constitution enumerates a very limited number of Federal Powers (and I think it would be awful neat if we respected those restrictions), it takes a much more expansive view of State Powers.
The question is whether or not the States can exercise such legislative powers, but whether or not they should. To my way of thinking, the State Legislatures should have to meet a much higher bar of legal necessity to regulate my neighbor's Private Property (of which I am not the Owner!), than to regulate the Public Commons (of which, as a taxpayer, I do consider myself "Part Owner", and reserve the right to vote my moral convictions on what I want to permit in "my" Public Square).