Originally Posted By Yookeroo Wow. Great couple of days for the SCOTUS. Can't wait to see excerpts from Scalia's dissent (who's become a national embarrassment...but an entertaining one the last couple of days).
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Scalia's dissent is easily the most vitriolic bit of blather he's ever spewed. I fully expect him to stroke out over this.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>It seems so somewhat wrong to have to say congratulations to those who have now been granted what should all along have been a fundamental right, but just the same.<<< Is this sentence aimed towards me? English isn't my first language! I just wanted to express how great that decision is.
Originally Posted By utahjosh I am disappointed but glad the discussion is over, and the rights for gay couples are not in question anymore.
Originally Posted By utahjosh That is to say I'm glad that the rights for gay couples are not in question. I've always supported legal rights for gay couples.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "Is this sentence aimed towards me? English isn't my first language! I just wanted to express how great that decision is." No, you're fine. It was more of a general statement.
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn No matter what, marriage is not Holy matrimony. Specifically to males, oscillating one's loins in other man's intestines (which is really what this is all about, not "love") is at best abusive and criminal, and at worst attempted murder.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 As some of you may expect, I've been busy this morning taking in the coverage, reading the justices' opinions, and just sort of grooving to the celebration. It may seem fast-moving to some, but to a man of 55 who remembers the days very well when I didn't even feel like I could be out, to the days I felt I could be out, but could never have my marriage recognized (and who has been de facto married going on 20 years), and who has dealt with bigotry and unequal treatment all my life for no damn good reason... it also seems a long time coming. I'm extremely pleased that it was decided explicitly on the basis of the 14th amendment, and that Kennedy explicitly referenced Loving v Virgina. As SPP and I have been saying for a long time, that is the only way it could have been decided, and the Court agreed. I knew Scalia would freak out and reveal himself in dissent. Of course, he tried to couch it in mere procedure, "The substance of today's decree is not of immense personal importance to me," he wrote. "But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in today's judicial Putsch." In other words, the courts shouldn't have decided this at all, voters or legislatures should have. (Roberts was more straightforward saying so.) But if the court had taken that attitude in 1967, the southern states that banned interracial marriage would NEVER have allowed it on their own, perhaps for decades, and countless people would have been hurt by that. SCOTUS stepped in to insist on equal treatment under the law, righting that wrong and hurting no one. And so it is today. Now, the conservative justices (and certainly Scalia) may think race is worthy of equal treatment and sexual orientation is not, but that's not what they argued. They argued the very process of SOCTUS deciding this was wrong. By that logic, Loving v Virginia was wrongly decided. But of course, one doesn't look to Scalia for logic. I'm also heartened with the citing of the 14th amendment, because this means discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation - still legal against gay people in a majority of states AND at the federal level, which most people don't even realize - is much less likely to stand up to court scrutiny. Lower courts will be able to cite this case much as they cited the Windsor case in the past two years to overturn marriage bans. All in all - a great day!! I expected this result - after all, we always had the better argument - but it's still heady and exhilarating to see it happen. I think back on our debates here and people like Beau who said it would "never" happen, and I realize it happened partly because people like me and our straight allies made it happen by changing other people's minds. Some people's minds will never change. That's fine. As long as I'm treated equally under the law, they can believe what they like. And I'll even claim my small, small part of it as part of the millions who simply lived our lives and changed minds. Work remains. But for now, time to celebrate! Woo hoo!!!
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "No matter what, marriage is not Holy matrimony. Specifically to males, oscillating one's loins in other man's intestines (which is really what this is all about, not "love") is at best abusive and criminal, and at worst attempted murder." Curious to hear your twisted take on lesbians.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Good now we can focus on things that matter in this country. Not that two people of the same sex love each other
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Good now we can focus on things that matter in this country. Not that two people of the same sex love each other
Originally Posted By TomSawyer "No matter what, marriage is not Holy matrimony." Sure it is. Lots of Christian churches already perform the rites of Holy Matrimony for same sex couples. You don't get to define it for everyone else.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Sad that the Catholics and the Mormons spent so much money fighting something that was inevitably going to change anyway. Too bad they couldn't use that money to help people.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 re 33. That's not what I meant. If course it's great that people will be treated equally. It's just at the point where a majority of the population isn't going to be affected by this ruling. People will be able to function. Now I will say I've never looked at a marriage as a right, but as a privilege. One that should always be for citizens of this country.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer I wonder how much of the anger from some quarters regarding this decision comes from a deep realization that, like the Southerners who supported slavery, they were completely wrong about something and they can no longer hide their bigotry behind the curtain of law.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 DD, I knew it wasn't what you meant, but it was still worth pointing out.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 First same-sex couple gets married in Dallas county. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZQlfsLEJs0&feature=youtu.be It's happening in freaking TEXAS, ya'll! These gentlemen are 85 and 82, and have been together 55 years. I can hardly imagine what they must have dealt with in past decades.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Thank you very much to the supporters of California's Prop 8. Unwittingly, you helped advance the cause of equality by getting people focused and aligned on this issue like never before. You did what many thought was impossible not long ago, and it sure cost you a lot of money. Nice work! This country gets dragged kicking and screaming into righting wrongs, but sooner or later, we get there. Happy day!
