Maine

[Zenmervolt]

Oh for the love of God. What the hell could anyone possibly find wrong with the Maine legislation? It explicitly protected any and all religious institutions from legal backlash if they refused to perform a ceremony for homosexual couples so there was literally no legitimate reason for the hyper-religious to be scared. All it did was make homosexual unions recognized by the state and grant such unions equal protection (and obligation) under the law. It didn't force churches to marry homosexual couples; it didn't make any demands on religious doctrine at all.

God damn it. The law that the Maine legislature had put into place should have been a model for the entire country and instead a bunch of backwards idiots went and fucked it all up.

 

[Sinsear]

 

[PingSpike]

Not sure why anyone thought it would pass a majority vote to begin with. Didn't even fail in almighty California. People expect attitudes to change pretty fast these days, remember old people vote in record numbers. AFAIK in places that same sex marriage is legal it isn't because a majority voted for it.

 

[BeauJangles]

Oh for the love of God. What the hell could anyone possibly find wrong with the Maine legislation? It explicitly protected any and all religious institutions from legal backlash if they refused to perform a ceremony for homosexual couples so there was literally no legitimate reason for the hyper-religious to be scared. All it did was make homosexual unions recognized by the state and grant such unions equal protection (and obligation) under the law. It didn't force churches to marry homosexual couples; it didn't make any demands on religious doctrine at all.

God damn it. The law that the Maine legislature had put into place should have been a model for the entire country and instead a bunch of backwards idiots went and fucked it all up.

The truth right here.

 

[K1052]

Land of the free.

 

[zoiks]

The land of the lobster.

 

[Modular]

Quote:

A majority of Maine citizens voted in favor of banning gay marriage. Why we have elections to decide civil rights for a minority group is beyond me.

Originally Posted by Platypus View Post
Isn't that how we eliminated slavery, gave women the right to vote, ended segregation, allowed interracial marriage, and then gave african americans civil rights?

Win

 

[alphatarget1]

As much as I like to see annoying liberal activists disappointed, this is not progress.

 

[JDub02]

A majority of Maine citizens voted in favor of banning gay marriage. Why we have elections to decide civil rights for a minority group is beyond me.

Why does a small minority think that they can dictate the moral views of the majority?

/devil's advocate

 

[K1052]

Why does a small minority think that they can dictate the moral views of the majority?

/devil's advocate

Everyone has the right to their own moral views, but not the right to impose them on others solely because they can muster a small majority.

 

[Steve]

You don't put rights to a vote.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Why does a small minority think that they can dictate the moral views of the majority?

/devil's advocate

Interracial marriage used to be considered immoral. This isn't about wingnuts and their little morals, this is about civil rights.

 

[Platypus]

Everyone has the right to their own moral views, but not the right to impose them on others solely because they can muster a small majority.

This is the best answer to you Jdub.

 

[FelixDeCat]

Rock the vote baby!

 

[clamum]

Yeah saw that news this morning. :thumbsdown;

 

[Platypus]

Rock the vote baby!

Isn't your god supposed to teach you to treat others as you'd like to be treated?

How about a lobster dinner to celebrate? Oh wai..

 

[jonks]

When enough of the old folks die off and the under-30s take up more of the voting block this issue will become less and less of an issue. It's probably going to take another 8-20 years. Sucks, but gays aren't living in plantation houses in the meantime being whipped and sold, etc, they just can't marry. Most of those voting against marriage equality probably rationalize their vote that way.

 

[Jeeebus]

I can definitely see the frustration associated with these measures being shot down where you believe that what you're fighting for is a fundamental right. Slavery wouldn't be right today just because a majority of the people in the country voted for it, nor would the prohibition on a woman's right to vote.

That said, it is fairly hypocritical to get behind and support a vote for the legalization of gay marriage and then cry foul when you don't get the result you wanted. The vote was put to the democratic process, and the majority decided against it. Democracy does not mean that if you don't get things your way, then boo to the process.

Obviously, it's a difficult position to be in if you support gay marriage, because if the government/courts aren't going to declare it a fundamental right, you need to take it to a vote.

__________________

 

[MotF Bane]

Fine. The people get their chance to vote, as is their right. Then the courts have to intervene to defend the rights of those infringed upon. It's clumsy and wastes time, but that's how the system was built.

Oh, and what ZV said. It doesn't get much better than that, the religious groups just fucked themselves.

 

[mugs]

I can definitely see the frustration associated with these measures being shot down where you believe that what you're fighting for is a fundamental right. Slavery wouldn't be right today just because a majority of the people in the country voted for it, nor would the prohibition on a woman's right to vote.

That said, it is fairly hypocritical to get behind and support a vote for the legalization of gay marriage and then cry foul when you don't get the result you wanted. The vote was put to the democratic process, and the majority decided against it. Democracy does not mean that if you don't get things your way, then boo to the process.

Obviously, it's a difficult position to be in if you support gay marriage, because if the government/courts aren't going to declare it a fundamental right, you need to take it to a vote.

__________________

I don't think anyone who supports gay marriage was in favor of the course this took through the "democratic process." It was passed by the legislature already, I'm sure any gay marriage would have been happy to have it stop there. It was then put on the ballot with a petition, which allowed the majority to... do what majorities do.

 

[zerocool1]

it's hard forging ahead when you live somewhere that has more people than sheep

but we have a lot of people here that act like sheep

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Maine: The deep south of the far north.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I didn't vote for Obama or care for his policies, but the majority has spoken. This is how voting works...

 

[Brainonska511]

I didn't vote for Obama or care for his policies, but the majority has spoken. This is how voting works...

whooosh!

The issue of the majority taking away the rights of a minority flies right over your head.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Gonna have to say, Zenmervolt hit the nail on the head.

I think it's really quite despicable that anybody who claims to be religious, whose religion values human life and preaches love/peace to want to restrict homosexuals from the same freedoms that heterosexuals have.

I really hate to see something that should be so trivial have to go through this slow and often times, seemingly hopeless process.