In an incredible turn of events, California surprises again, and upholds the original vote in favor of Proposition 8, banning gay marriage in the state of California.
As I have stated plenty of times before, I am a federalist, and I believe in local government and states’ rights. I believe that if people vote for something it should be upheld and in this case, the people voted to ban gay marriage. Since a majority voted that way in the most liberal state in the union, that says something. It would not be right, just, or constitutional for a supreme court at the state level to overturn a majority vote – that is not democracy.
I saw one quote on twitter that stated: Thank God we live in a republic and not a democracy regarding the hopeful overturn of prop. 8. I don’t think this person quite understands what it is she is talking about. Yes, we live in a republic (at least it is questionable to some if it truly is still a republic since there is too much government control) but we PRACTICE the PHILOSOPHY of democracy (government by the people, through representatives) – that is the point of voting. For an entity to overturn a majority vote when that entity is only made up of 7 people, would be massively destructive to what a republic or the practice of democracy really and truly is.
I’m glad that California acted just in this case and stood by its voters – if a state believes in gay marriage or wants to accept it, it will vote that way. Until then, whether you agree or not, the decision (the will of the people) must be upheld.
The final ruling will uphold prop. 8, but it will also uphold the 18K marriages that took place before the official ruling (which were perfectly legal at that time). This law is very convoluted and will probably have some major issues in the future, but we won’t know until that time. The Supreme Court of CA voted 6-1 in favor of upholding the vote from November. The lone dissenter was Justice Moreno.
I have already seen the “tweets” from those who were hopeful that Prop. 8 would be overturned, calling California losers, M&*$@# F*%@#&$ and various other things. They were hopeful that there would be tolerance shown towards them, but once the decision for the vote was upheld, they called everyone opposed to marriage, rednecks, hicks, intolerant bigots, etc. I’m waiting for the upcoming mobs… those same mobs that tore a cross out of an old woman’s hands last November – and who exactly is intolerant?
Let us also not forget that Obama agrees with California’s decision…
Carrie Prejean has finally been exonerated. Not like she should have been held to some unobtainable standard to begin with, but when you are a conservative, and religious at that, liberals feel as though you must either be 100% pure or you’re a hypocrite.
The liberal argument is basically about standards, if you dont’ have any you can’t be held accountable, so needless to say, those that stand on principles will incessantly get harassed by the media and the activists, waiting for the slightest mistake.
Carrie Prejean took photos for a modeling shoot, just as many other females have, who try to get into a career that pertains to beauty and looks. I think the photos were actually very tasteful and they didn’t show any private body parts nor was she ever fully undressed. I’m not sure where liberals get off trying to publicly galvanize this woman just for doing a photo shoot to get ahead in her field. Kathy Ireland is a conservative and incredibly religious for that matter, but nobody made a stink when she was all over the covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. What about all those other celebrities that actually undress themselves and literally pose nude on the cover of Maxim, Playboy, etc.? It’s ok because they don’t profess to be spiritual or believe in God? If that’s the case I feel very sorry for those individuals. They are truly missing out on a wonderful aspect of life that fills many voids I currently see in today’s society.
What amuses me most is the fact that liberals never catch onto the fact that Christian conservatives do not claim to be perfect, in fact it is quite the opposite. We are trying to be more God-like and live a life similar to that of the apostle Paul (if I could choose an example). Jesus believed in redemption and treated those who had fallen away and sinned, but came back, as his children. The prodigal sons and daughters were always the closest to the heart of Jesus. The only perfect entity in this world is God and it is us mere mortals who attempt to emulate as best we can his teachings, although we know we fall way short. The only people who have difficulty understanding this concept are those who are either averse to the truth or fear that there may really be some higher power greater than themselves and their ideology.
I was happy to hear that earlier today Donald Trumpmade a statement that dropped the “charges” against Carrie Prejean and she was “allowed” to keep her title as Miss California. I hope she continues to be a champion of the 1st amendment and speaks her mind in a very mature and inviting way. She deserves to be herself and believe in the things she does without being lambasted by those who feel differently. Donald Trump made the ironic remark that “We are living in the 21st century…” basically telling all the critics to get a life and get real. This is America, we are all allowed to have our own opinions, let’s hope that we never lose that. Freedom is not free…
Oh and liberals… are you going to go after Obambi for his opinion that marriage is only between one man and one woman? —— Crickets…
Carrie, yet again, spoke very well during the press conference today, and here is the part that made me choke up… because of the truth in her words!
This just seems hypocritical to me. I know many gay republicans and they are shunned by gays on the left – some like to keep to themselves and don’t feel they need to be “outed.”
Gays on the left argued about wanting their sex lives kept private and the law should not go into their bedrooms, however, this seems to be doing the very thing they rail against; they have no regard for privacy or decency.
I don’t think that this puts the gay community forward – this does not help their cause – people will see this as a witch hunt and an “outing” expedition… So wrong!
After an emotional debate, the D.C. Council gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
The vote is considered the first step toward eventually allowing gay marriages to be performed in Washington. Congress, which has final say over the city’s laws, will get 30 days to review the bill assuming Democratic Mayor Adrian Fenty, a supporter, signs it.
If Congress takes no action, the bill will become law automatically. President Barack Obama and congressional leaders have not signaled where they stand on the D.C. bill. Obama generally supports civil unions but has said marriage is between a man and a woman.
“The march toward equality is coming to this country, and you can either be a part of it or stand in the way,” said David Catania, one of two openly gay D.C. Council members.
Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa already allow gay marriage and lawmakers in several other states are considering whether to do the same. New York recognizes gay marriages performed in other states.
The D.C. Council vote was 12-to-1, with former Mayor Marion Barry casting the lone opposing vote. Barry, a longtime supporter of the gay community, called it an “agonizing and difficult decision” that he made after praying and consulting with his constituents and the religious community.
Gay-marriage supporters greeted the vote with applause, but they were outnumbered at city hall by outraged opponents, including many black ministers.
Marion Barry originally voted for gay marriage but quickly sobered up and asked to change it to become the lone nay vote on the council:
After the D.C. Council voted unanimously to recognize same-sex marriages Tuesday morning, Councilman Marion Barry asked for his vote back, according to Washington Post reporter Tim Craig.
Apparently Mayor for Life, an opponent of the legislation, voted yea without knowing what he was voting on, but he woke up in time to ask that the bill be reconsidered, and the debate that was expected took place, to the relief of all the council members who wanted their two cents on the matter on record.
After an emotional debate, a second vote was taken, and it passed 12-1 with Barry as the lone opponent. Now it’s up to Congress, which has final say over the city’s laws and will subject the bill to a 30-day review after Mayor Adrian Fenty signs it as expected.
D.C. is almost 99% Democrat, but that does not necessarily that they are supportive of gay marriage…
The majority-black district is overwhelmingly Democratic, but public support for gay marriage is unclear. Exit polls in California indicated about seven in 10 black voters there weighed in against gay marriage in a November vote.
Don’t forget that there are many Hispanics who live in D.C. as well (similarly California) and they too oppose gay marriage because of their strong catholic backgrounds.
However, leave it to the liberals to lay the blame elsewhere, as they did in California. They complained, berated, and shouted down Mormons; although the overwhelming majority who voted against gay marriage, were minorities.
The Rev. Anthony Evans, a pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Washington, vowed to make sure the legislation dies in Congress and said he will work to unseat every D.C. Council member who voted for it.
“They just kissed their political careers goodbye,” he said.
The congressional review could be the new Congress’ first opportunity to signal its appetite for re-examining the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to do the same.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who is openly gay, said he expects Congressional opponents of gay marriage to rally to repeal the city’s decision, but doubts they’ll get very far.
“For this to be overturned, it’d have to pass both houses and be signed by the president, and that’s highly unlikely,” Frank said.
An overflow crowd filled city hall ahead of the vote, and more than 100 opponents from churches in the Washington region held a rally across the street on Freedom Plaza. Among them was the Rev. Derek McCoy from the Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Md.
“Once you redefine marriage, you redefine family,” he said.
So at any point will politicians and judges actually practice some type of federalism or give up some power and control to allow their constituents the decision/vote on issues that will affect their lives and surroundings? If the locale or state votes in favor then so be it but, if not then it does not become law. Can we please use our Constitution which has allowed us to get as far as we have as a country?
Sixteen people banned from entering the UK are “named and shamed” by the Home Office.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she decided to make public the names of 16 people banned since October last year so others could better understand what sort of behaviour Britain was not prepared to tolerate.
The list includes hate preachers, anti-gay protesters and a far- right US talk show host.
Dr Yunis Al-Astal Hamas MP and dean of Sharia studies at The Islamic University of Gaza. Al Astal is claimed to have decreed that global Islam has to take over America’s dominance. He also decreed that killing Jews was relevant in our times.
Mike Guzofsky
Jewish militant, also known as Yekutiel Ben Yaakov. Hosted the internet TV show “Voice of Judea” and is considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fermenting terrorist behaviour and provoking others to commit terrorist acts.
Stephen Donald Black
American white nationalist and founder of the Stormfront internet forum. He was a grand wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and a member of the American Nazi Party in the 1970s. He was convicted in 1981 for attempted armed overthrow of the Dominican government.
Eric Gliebe
President of the racist record label Resistance Records, with sales of $1m a year and whose groups promote the idea the US should be divided by race, sexual preference and religious creed.
Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky
Last year a Russian court sentenced the group of skinheads led by Ryno and Skachevsky to between six and twenty years in prison. The court issued the ruling on the basis of the jury verdict, which found the seven group members guilty of 20 racially-motivated murders and 12 attacks.
Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim
Muslim cleric suspected of terrorist ties. Deported from the US in 2004. He said: “I came to this country in peace. I did not come here to scare anybody.”
Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal
Preacher considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and fostering hatred that might lead to inter-community violence.
Michael Alan Weiner
Michael Alan Weiner, better known by his pseudonym Michael Savage, is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Some, including Savage himself, have characterized his views as conservative nationalism. He claims that liberalism and same-sex marriage are degrading American culture.
Safwat Hijazi
Islamic preacher. Issued a fatwa sanctioning “the killing of any Jews who visit Egypt or any other Islamic country.” He said later it was only “in reference to Israeli soldiers”.
Amir Siddique
Preacher. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs.
Abdul Ali Musa
Muslim activist and director of Masjid Al-Islam in US. Member of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT) and a well-known speaker around the world. His name was previously Clarence Reams, and he was born in Arkansas in 1945. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fomenting and glorifying terrorist violence.
Samir Al Quntar
Samir Kuntar is a Lebanese militant and a former member of the Palestine Liberation Front. In 1979, at the age of 16, he participated in the attempted kidnapping of an Israeli family in Nahariya that resulted in the deaths of four Israelis and two of his fellow kidnappers. He spent nearly three decades in prison before being released on July 16, 2008 as part of an Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swap.
Nasr Javed
Kashmiri militant group leader. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs.
Fred Waldron Phelps Snr and Shirley Phelps-Roper American pastor and leading spokesman of Westboro Baptist Church. Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fostering hatred that might lead to inter-community violence in the UK. The 79-year-old and his daughter are barred for their anti-gay comments.
However, it is important to note that communists, dictators, black liberation theologists and preachers, black nationalists, black panther groups, national socialists and other statists on the left are all welcome to enter. Just no right-wingers! I was also surprised to see that Muslims were actually included in an English list… It appears that Gordon Brown’s administration is taking a page right out of Obama’s playbook!
Does this mean that Obama is banned for not advocating gay marriage either?
Why would you only single out a particular individual on the radio? Are there not plenty of others that hold those same views? And why would you bar someone from the country who just has an opinion that is different from other peoples’. If he feels that gay marriage is degrading American culture than what is the big deal – is he not allowed to feel that way? Can he not believe what he wants as long as he is not violent? He doesn’t incite violence either… This sounds more fascist to me than anything else. England says you must hold a particular view/opinion or else!
Paging Winston Churchill, England is about to pull another Neville Chamberlain – unfortunately, so is the United States!
Bill Ayers, Reverend Write, Michael Moore, Cindy Sheehan, Ted Turner and Jane Fonda are all on their way to England as we speak – they will be welcomed with open arms! I heard Code Pink is piloting the plane.
