As I hinted in my previous post, I'm going to vote for Bush next week.
I strongly support Bush's work against islamofascism. But while I'm voting for Bush, I'm neither a conservative nor a Republican. I'm just picking those guys for national representation. There's a fair number of conservative/GOP positions with which I do not agree.
One of them is gay marriage. Now, I opposed the Massachutsetts descision, but that's because I can't stand judges who seem to think constitutions were written in pencil. I'm pretty libertarian on this one; let's let folks sort things out for themselves, shall we?
But there's always someone, isn't there? I just found out last week that Issue #1 on Ohio's ballot this fall proposes to amend Ohio's constitution to specify marriage as between one man and one woman. The wording is intimidating:
Be it Resolved by the People of the State of Ohio:(emphasis added)That the Constitution of the State of Ohio be amended by adopting a section to be designated as Section 11 of Article XV thereof, to read as follows:
"Article XV, Section 11. Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.
Now -originally- I intended to put up a short, incisive, well-reasoned argument against the proposed amendment, but we're past that. If you're for it, then so be it. I'm speaking to the more relaxed folks out there:
Excuse my language, but this amendment is just bullshit.
I'm betting that many folks, like me, didn't even know the issue was on the ballot for next week. What I want to do is jump up on the roof and shout out that we have to defeat this amendment.
Screw that. We don't want to defeat it; we want to beat it to death with a big rock, drive a stake thru its atrophied heart, and bury the very idea under a big landfill; by such a large margin that the next goober who tries to mess with the personal lives of this great state will be ridiculed into oblivion.
Tell your friends, email your pen-pals. Log on to your favorite blog and tell them about this; urge the author to link here (or elsewhere) so that we can politically obliterate this.
For those who consider conservative Ohio to be full of whacky homophobics, I offer the following:
-The Cincinnati Post says no
-The Cincinnati Enquirer says no
-Governor Bob Taft is agin' it
-so is Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro
-both Republican US Senators, Mike DeWine and George Voinovich say nay
Go here for more information.
Dear Casey:
You and I have flamed each other recently, but I hereby say only:
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!
Posted by: Steven Malcolm Anderson at November 1, 2004 7:28 PMIndeed. I'm much more socially conservative than either of you, and I would vote against such an amendment for the same reason you point out... there's not even a hedge available, since it uses the phrase "this state and its political subdivisions". The legislature would have be stripped of power, not just the courts. In Oklahoma, our Amendment Question is one that would strip the courts of the ability to legislate from the bench, but would still allow the legislature to move should it desire to, which is much more the federalist/conservative ideal.
If ours used your phrasing, I'd definately be voting against it.
Posted by: Dave at November 1, 2004 11:41 PMThanks for the kind words, guys!
And Steve, that's not flaming, that's just vigorous dissent. Heh.
to casey,
i love the snow white show. it's one of my best favorie show's. love alexia