AmyH's New Ballot Proposition
Arizona woke up to the news that Prop 102 passed, defining in the state constitution that marriage is and ever shall be defined as a coupling of one man and one woman.
Since the proponents were beating us over the head with 'only marriages that can produce offspring should be the only marriages allowed', then we should make that fair across the board.
Fertility testing should be mandatory for a marriage license and once married, if offspring aren't produced within two years then the marriage is declared null and void. No late-in-life marriages will be allowed, either.
Fair is fair. Let's have equal treatment under the law, shall we?
Fertility testing should be mandatory for a marriage license and once married, if offspring aren't produced within two years then the marriage is declared null and void. No late-in-life marriages will be allowed, either.
Fair is fair. Let's have equal treatment under the law, shall we?
The passage of Prop 102 and other anti-gay measures remind me of a quote by German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a Lutheran minister who died at the hands of the Nazis. He had a chance to flee Germany to safety but chose to stay and fight. I know it's unseemly to throw in Nazi references within an argument (I think there's even a term for that), but the quote is still a good one to keep in mind as rights are being taken away from one group of citizens. It's a quick slide to take them away from others.
First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.
Comments
This is so so true.
We need to ALL speak out against this STUPID random idea that marriage is only man/woman and to produce children!!#*@&#&%^!!!
I'm going to get on an email campaign against this horseshit.
What about people that don't want children? Does that mean that I can't marry in Arizona?
I think that people ultimately don't care what others do in the privacy of their homes, but that the rabble rousers make a lot of noise and con people into acting against their own interests. Rational and reasonable people have to raise their voices against this kind of discrimination.
i totally agree with you. i'm embarrassed to say that florida passed an amendment to its constitution banning gay marriage. i think the wording states that marriage is a union ONLY between a man and a woman, and it outlaws legal recognition of all other partnerships. according to sources, it would block legal, health and/or economic benefits to any couple that is not a married man and woman. so if you live with a partner and want to visit him/her in the hospital? that's a no-go. you aren't married, and you aren't family.
it's INSANE that something like this passes.
i hate when people believe that they have the right to determine how someone else lives.
yep, don't let those old shrivelled up grannies marry if they can't pop out a few offspring! However, this paves the way for legal animal marriages to take place. (as long as they aren't neutered, which eliminates Elvis)
sucks, sucks sucks. Why anyone things that gay marriage affects them in a negatvie way I don't know. Stay out of other people's business. Most heterosexual marriages shouldn't take place, judging from the deevorce rate.
Ha. So true.
I just do NOT get these "conservative-keep-government-out-of-my-life" people, but "let-me-tell-everyone-else-how-to-live". Gawd. Get.over.it.
SUCK ON THAT, PROP 8.
When I learned that the measures against gay marriage passed, I was filled with such shame. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Do they think that outlawing gay marriage will protect the children from the awful image of same sex couples living together, sharing loving, healthy relationships? How??? They'll learn that homosexuals exist as soon as they step into the real world! Perhaps they'll even adopt that lifestyle!
It's wicked, it's ignorant, it's hateful.
Apparently Mr. LT and I are not truly married in AZ, since we decided long ago not to have kids. (at least they didn't pull that crap in CA)
Teho, we'd better not ever go there, they might make us split up from our schmoops. I'd especially better not, turns out I'm sterile, they might take Mr. LT away from me and make him breed with someone else!
When the fearmongering ads came on, we'd make fun, going "Oooo, we're all going to HAVE to get gay married!" I decided we'd swap with the BFF's, at least it's someone we know and it wouldn't be as traumatic for the kitties.
my legally-sanctioned-relationship will no longer be valid.
I wish fantastically gay children on all those who voted for these ballot measures.
I haven't figured out yet what my penalty will be for being a divorced woman of childbearing age.
Oh yeah, I won't be able to adopt of foster kids because I'm unmarried.
Thank you, Arkansas, for that one!
What kills me is that these propositions don't affect only their intended targets, it's a shotgun blast that spreads to injure other people as well.
I don't think the nazi comparison is unseemly - it's the only one that most whites can understand. I assume that also started small, one little change after another. As i commented elsewhere, if rights can be overturned by popular election, then what's next? Utah will only recognize white mormon men as legal voters? All the southern states will only recognize marriage as being between two whities?!?
I am sooooooo totally pissed off about having to fight this fight yet AGAIN. I really think the State Supreme Court's decision should have been final. And I don't see any way that they can, legally, deny all the marriages the state has already approved. Taking away rights is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
I think Lewis Black said it best (on the Daily Show regarding similar ballot measures in 2004):
"In the end, these ballot initiatives [against gay marriage] remind us
that America is the land where people are free to dream whatever they
want, so long as that dream doesn't make mid-westerners feel 'icky'."
I am fortunate to have come from a family where a Gay relationship was accepted as'fine' and the gay couple danced at my first wedding in the sixties.
My grandmother, born at the turn of the last century had a brother (well lots of brothers and sisters) who was gay. He and his lifelong partner lived near my great grandparents to help take care of them. These people were born in Italy and accepted this just fine. My great Uncle sang Ave Maria at my wedding, his partner cried, they danced with me and each other and everyone else and as far as I know, no one on my side of the family blinked and eye.
They were among my favorite relatives and I think of them fondly. Mind you this was over forty years ago, Have we progressed so little in that time? I honest to God think some of these conservatives would take away all our rights if they could. Makes me spitting mad, just pissed.