"Libertarian" Is Just Another Word for "Nitwit"

If "government" gets out of the "marriage business," then "marriage" for all intents and purposes would be abolished.

It doesn't matter if you have a church ceremony. That is merely a wedding. It is NOT a marriage. Without that license, you are NOT "married." Above all, marriage is a LEGAL contract, and in order to dissolve that contract you MUST use the court system, which is an arm of the government. There is NO way to logically argue the government shouldn't be involved in marriage without advocating its abolition.

I haven't heard that argument for marriage abolition since the radical feminism of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the argument was based on the very real issue that women were second-class citizens because of traditional marriage.

Now we have wingnuts like Rand Paul making arguments for marriage abolition under the phony guise of religious freedom. We have wingnuts now advocating for shacking up outside of that piece of paper called a marriage license. They are making similar arguments to what those hippies were making in the 1960s. Instead of "husbands" and "wives" or "spouses," the partners would be their "old men" or "old ladies." I can just see the likes of James Dobson calling his wife his "old lady" once marriage is done away with.

Rand was born in 1963, a little bit too young to remember the "counterculture" of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Marriage long predated all of the world's major religions. Societies, call them informal governments, created marriage in order to foster responsibilities by parents for any children resulting from heterosexual sex. It was also a way to ensure societies would continue. Religions also helped enforce those responsibilities. However, "God" had nothing to do with the creation of marriage; it was, to put it crudely, a way for society to put the brakes on the promiscuity of men. After all, children needed support, and so did women, who really needed marriage because childbirth was so dangerous and their economic options limited.

But enough of that. Rand Paul just needs to shut up and stop pandering to the religious crowd.

Same-sex marriage is a reality, and nothing can be done to reverse it.

It's time to move on.

Obergefell v Hodges

Instead of being told what to think of the USSC decision which legalized same-sex marriage nationally, you can read the decision right here.

With the dissents it is a fairly lengthy read.

This decision isn't going to change things too much except to make divorce lawyers more rich. There simply aren't that many gays and lesbians in the United States that it is going to have much of an impact on the vast majority of people. And yes, it does definitely redefine the purpose of marriage because it is saying that other purposes besides the raising of children and the perpetuation of a society exist. "Love" and "commitment" are actually pretty flimsy reasons to get married, but by far those are the reasons people get married. No wonder so many people get divorced since people are fickle. However, this really wasn't the aim of the LGBs; they wanted those legal benefits afforded to heterosexual married couples and not go the piecemeal route of civil unions. This was easier for them. Of course, many people aren't happy about this decision, but there isn't a hell of a lot that can be done about it. It's like Roe v. Wade. Granted, there has been some chipping away by the high court on that decision, but legal abortion nationwide is still the law of the land 42 years later. The anti-abortion crowd will never make it illegal again; all it can do be is be pains in the ass in terms of women's access to it.

Anti-same-sex marriage will merely be useful for the right to galvanize the supporters come election time, but not a damned thing is ever going to happen here.

Besides, our politicians are too busy trying to screw us over with ruinous trade agreements and other handouts to big biz, Wall Street, and the billionaires to give a shit about anything else.

Score One for the LGBT Community

It looks like the LGBT community scored a big victory today when the USSC decided to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and at the same time declined to rule on California's Proposition 8, thus clearing the way for same-sex marriages to resume.

It's a big story. Of course it was 5-4.

Cynically speaking, this should help the Republicans in the next election cycle.

Or perhaps not, if they decide they have had enough with this issue and will focus on shitting on women's rights as a diversion while joining forces with "Democrats" to allow more pilfering of taxpayer money to benefit their rich backers.

The ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act means that the federal government must recognize the gay marriages deemed legal by the states — 12 plus the District of Columbia, before the California case was decided.

The law helps determine who is covered by more than 1,100 federal laws, programs and benefits, including Social Security survivor benefits, immigration rights and family leave.

“DOMA instructs all federal officials, and indeed all persons with whom same-sex couples interact, including their own children, that their marriage is less worthy than the marriages of others,” the ruling said. It added that the law was invalid because there was no legitimate purpose for disparaging those whom states “sought to protect in personhood and dignity.”

You can read the decision here.

This had to do with an estate tax issue. It seems to make a lot of sense as this couple was together for some 44 years.

This appears to be the case where it doesn't mean same-sex marriage is legal everywhere--that's never gonna happen--but that if it is legal in some states, the federal government must recognize it.

It's almost saying state law trumps federal law.

Of Course It Was a Diversionary Tactic

I am referring to Obama's sudden "evolving" stance on gay marriage. Not only could he pander to the identity politics crowd, which was getting impatient with him, but he could also take their attention away from the shitty economy and his equally shitty economic policies.

The WSWS noted that the minute Obama made his dramatic announcement, piles upon piles of political contributions went into his coffers.

Gay marriage just isn't that important an issue:

Issues such as gay marriage serve a definite and important function in American politics. For most of the population, regardless of sexual orientation, they are of decidedly secondary importance. According to a recent PEW poll, gay marriage ranked 18th in the list of important issues, coming far behind the economy, jobs, health care and war.

The pro-Democratic Party organizations seek to promote issues of identity and lifestyle as a means of obscuring the basic class issues and diverting attention from the thoroughly reactionary policies of the Obama administration on every front. In doing so, they seek to exploit the general support for equality and the expansion of marriage rights, particularly among young people. The Democratic Party uses such issues in the attempt to establish points of difference with the Republicans, under conditions in which the two parties agree on all fundamental issues.

Identity politics is always a killer when it comes to winning the White House. Bread-and-butter issues are what matter.

Speaking of Obama, he is campaigning in Reno today. Unfortunately, the paper is now under a paywall.

There are, however, Twitter feeds.

SSM & BO = + or -?

Obama knows there is an election coming up, so he thinks he can get more people on his side by endorsing same-sex marriage.

He must think Romney hasn't a prayer at all of defeating him in November, so this is a halfway safe position to take.

This president is a very calculating person, and if tomorrow it wasn't safe to support SSM, Obama would say he was "devolving" on this issue.

too bad he doesn't support public education and teachers.

News, Etc.

It appears Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will survive yesterday's shooting which resulted in six deaths, but she is still in critical condition.

Officials are now looking at a possible accomplice.
_____

Law school students are finding themselves buried under a pile of debt and not able to find work in their field when they graduate. Of course, they can't erase their debts in bankruptcy; the loan sharks guaranteed that.

You can say the same for paralegals, too, which were never too numerous to begin with. About the only jobs available were legal secretary jobs, which pay absolute crap for the most part and certainly don't require near the training of a paralegal or a lawyer.

It's back to doing shit sales jobs selling Chinese-made trinkets, I'm afraid.
_____

I am not as optimistic as Stephanie Coontz who believes same-sex marriage is "inevitable."
_____

News

Just in time for the elections.

This Article I Believe Explains

just why same-sex marriage is such a loser, whether it is in the legislature or in the courts, the latter at least as a way to force it nationwide.

It's NEVER going to happen. The USSC signals an omen:

The U.S. Supreme Court cast its first vote last week on the legal challenge to California's voter initiative barring same-sex marriage, and some experts said it was a bad omen for those who hope gays and lesbians will win a constitutional right to such unions.

The 5-4 decision, with conservatives in the majority, intervened in the San Francisco district court trial on behalf of the defenders of Proposition 8.

The high court rebuked U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker for seeking to give the public a chance to view the proceedings on the Internet. In its opinion, the majority saw the dispute through the same lens as the opponents of gay marriage and decided that they -- not homosexuals -- faced a hostile public climate of harassment and intimidation.

I think it is a clear warning from the high court this thing is going to be pitched out if the issue goes that far.

More:

Several California law professors who said they supported gay rights worried about a 9th Circuit ruling that broadly endorsed same-sex marriage.

"The worst-case scenario is a 9th Circuit ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. That will force the Supreme Court's hand, and it will lead to a bad precedent," said Vikram Amar, a law professor at UC Davis and a former court clerk. "I don't see the five justices to affirm that. There may not be two or three even."

Currently, he said, gay marriage is the law in Iowa and in parts of New England, and "I don't see Anthony Kennedy viewing that as the national norm."

There might not be any who would affirm it. Opposition to same-sex marriage isn't just confined to the religious right although that group is the most vocal.

News Briefs

It's yet another loss for the same-sex marriage advocates as the New Jersey state senate soundly rejected its legalization.

I will say it once again, and that this is a complete loser issue. I don't even know why it is being pursued. SSM will never, ever be legal nationwide in this country.

Miscellaneous Articles

The gun-toting teacher from Medford, Oregon, has lost her appeal, which only makes sense.

You use the COURTS, not a gun, and definitely not take it to work, to rectify problems.

Besides, there is always the possibility of a student getting hold of it, and then all hell breaks loose.
_____

New York's highest court upheld recognition of gay marriages in a narrow ruling.

New York State’s highest court rejected unanimously a challenge on Thursday by opponents of same-sex marriage to policies that recognize such unions performed in other states, though the decision gave gay advocates a small victory because it was narrowly written and applied to a relatively small number of people.

_____

Caster Semenya gets to keep her gold medal.
_____

I thought I'd include this article about a truly absurd lawsuit here:

Former high roller Terry Watanabe is accusing Harrah’s of some serious funny business in Las Vegas.

In what may be the nastiest spat since the days when Vegas handled disputes outside of court—if you get my meaning—Watanabe has filed a lawsuit accusing the casino giant of plying him with alcohol and prescription drugs in an attempt to keep him gambling. In the end, he says he lost more than $100 million.

Watanabe made his money with his father in the import/export business, running Oriental Trading Co. in Omaha, Nebraska. He sold the company in 2000 and became known as a philanthropist, with a taste for gambling.

By 2006, Watanabe says he was actually living at the Wynn in Vegas, but moved to Harrah’s properties, including Caesars Palace, after being offered better comps. Those comps included a three bedroom palazzo, 15 percent cash back on monthly table losses of $500,000 or greater, and $12,500

SSM Supporters are Wondering

what in the hell happened in Maine last night, and they think now the best way to advance their cause is by pressuring Congress to repeal DOMA.

Naturally, what would happen in that case is there would be a resurgence of the GOP, something this country CANNOT afford, but of course the GLBT community doesn't have the political sense to see the obvious.

The plain unvarnished truth is the majority, and in many states the vast majority, of people don't want same-sex marriage. It isn't just religious people who don't want it; there are people with no religious belief at all who don't want it. I place the blame on the lack of progress in this area (outside of the courts and legislatures in a handful of states) squarely on the GLBT community.

When you're a tiny minority, and a minority ONLY because of what you do or don't do in the sack, and you have an arrogant, obnoxious attitude towards people whose support you need to get anything done--the 99 percent or so who aren't gay or lesbian--don't be a bit surprised a huge portion of that 99 percent pushes back--and hard.

I always stated SSM was a loser issue, and I have been proven right.

Obama

and the Democrats in Congress had better be concerned about last night's gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, where Republicans won big.

I was never overly confident of Obama's ability to run things. And I want to know why the hell he isn't relying on Joe Biden more on domestic policy instead of listening to Wall Street flaks like Summers and Geithner.

The other and not surprising news from last night's elections had to do with Maine's voters rejecting same-sex marriage.

Not one state where the issue has been put to a vote has same-sex marriage ever passed. It will always be this way in this country. Some have argued that because younger people tend to be more "liberal" on this issue, that eventually SSM will happen nationwide. I doubt it very seriously. Once these young people have children themselves and many turn to religion in later years, they are going to be less receptive to the issue.

Not only that, but, as I have written many times, the GLBT community has shot themselves in the foot over and over again because they have absolutely no sense at all as to how they come across to the overwhelming majority of people in this country (as many as 99 percent of the population) who aren't GLBT. They have to have the straight vote to get anything done. But the way some of these people act, you'd think they WERE 99 percent of the population. You just can't piss off millions of people and think you are going to get anywhere. The courts have helped the GLBT community on this issue, but favorable rulings also bring about a backlash with the public.

Here is a report:

Maine would have been the sixth state in the country to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, but instead becomes the 31st state to oppose the unions in a popular vote.

With 87 percent of precincts reporting as of 2 a.m. today, gay marriage opponents claimed 53 percent of the vote to supporters' 47 percent.

Although Ted Olson

has a hell of a lot to answer for in his taking on a legal case which changed the course of American history and not in a good way and for his activities with the so-called "Arkansas Project," it may not be that surprising he has backed gay rights in his legal attempts to overturn California's Proposition 8.

Apparently Olson hasn't been kneejerk right-wing about gay rights for years. Of course his rabidly reactionary wife Barbara is no longer around, and his current wife, Lady Booth Olson, is very low-key to the point of invisibility.

It May Be Too Soon

to put California same-sex marriage to a vote next year. It probably has even less chance of passage than Proposition 8 had of approval:

The 4-point margin of victory for Proposition 8 was 18 points narrower than the last time voters considered the issue in 2000, suggesting Californians are becoming less hostile to the idea over time. But the political climate in 2010 is not likely to be substantially more favorable to gay marriage than it was in November, when a popular young Democratic presidential nominee pulled large numbers of younger voters — a group more likely to support same-sex marriage than older voters — to the polls.

And when same-sex marriage inevitably returns to the ballot, there will be new obstacles advocates did not face in 2008. Historically, it's much easier to get Californians to vote "No" on an initiative than to get them to vote affirmatively. Same-sex marriage forces were seeking a "No" vote in 2008, and lost. Next time, California voters will have to vote affirmatively to create rights.

No state has yet voted in a general election to bestow same-sex marriage rights where they did not already exist. Arizona had the first — and to date, only — statewide vote to defeat a proposed ban on same-sex marriage in 2006, but Arizona voters reversed themselves in November and enacted a ban.

Miscellaneous

Reality television superstar Susan Boyle appears to be having a meltdown.
_____

Many same-sex marriage advocates are saying the lawsuit filed by Boies and Olson is not the way to go, for they feel it would lose. No doubt that is true; few courts will go anywhere near the issue.
_____

Proposition 8

Despite some victories in the past year, mostly by courts, supporters of gay marriage have a very tough row to hoe, especially when it comes to voters.

Put it to a vote, and same-sex marriage loses, often big time. Supporters of SSM haven't learned about the fine art of public relations, so they have gone overboard with their protests and their talking points (for example, their offensive comparison between gay rights and civil rights marches, etc.). I have long felt the entire matter was a loser for at least several decades.

The ruling leaves five states that allow same-sex marriages -- Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and Iowa -- and four of those are in New England. The other states on the verge of approving gay marriage or debating it -- New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey -- are all in the Northeast, making same-sex marriage appear increasingly to be a regional phenomenon rather than a national trend. The exception is Iowa, a heartland state with a long progressive tradition, where a state Supreme Court decision cleared the way for marriage rights.

The rest of the map looks far less hospitable to gay activists. About 30 states have constitutional amendments that define marriage as between a man and a woman. The South appears solidly against same-sex marriage. The Mountain West and the Plains states seem largely opposed, with New Mexico as a possible exception. In the Midwest, gay advocates have hopes in Illinois and Minnesota, but nowhere else. And on the West Coast, Washington shows a measure of promise.

I'd say this poll by Gallup is accurate. While it is true younger people are more supportive of SSM, it does not necessarily follow that SSM will be legal nationwide as a result. People tend to be more "conservative" as they get older, especially with regard to social issues. As it is, it is a loser, and getting court approval makes people antagonistic towards the idea.

Miscellaneous News

Experts believe the Iowa ruling regarding same-sex marriage will have no effect on the upcoming ruling by the California Supreme Court.
_____



(Marilyn Newton, Reno Gazette-Journal)




A horrible bus crash just west of Reno near Floriston has one person dead and some 30 others injured.

It was an employee bus taking people to work at Squaw Valley.

Details:

One person is dead and more than 30 injured in a tour bus crash this morning on Interstate 80 about 1.5 miles west of the Floriston exit in California, the California Highway Patrol reports.


More than 30 people were transported to hospitals in Reno and Truckee, California Highway Patrol officer Steve Skeen reported, including four with life-threatening injuries.

The CHP received the call at 8:28 a.m. and arrived to find the Squaw Creek employee bus in the ditch and several people lying outside the bus, Skeen said.

More from an eyewitness to the crash.

This report says one is dead, 27 are injured with five critically hurt.

A video clip:


_____

The daughter of an Italian man accused of raping her says the abuse began when she was 9 years old.
_____

SSM Chronicles

The Iowa Supreme Court has unanimously ruled Iowa marriage is not limited to one man and one woman.

This is the decision.

Let the return of the GOP begin.
_____

Prop 8 Aftermath

Opponents of the California same-sex marriage ban blame consultants and leaders for its passage.

The blame is misplaced. The reason the measure passed is because SSM advocates completely overestimated its support in California. They are rightly afraid that if such a measure could pass there, it would pass everywhere in the country, and measures similar have passed all over the country. That's why they have gone overboard in their protests.

Miscellaneous [Updated]

A nine-year-old had a close encounter with a coyote up at a ski resort.
_____

An Ashland, Oregon, church refuses to sign any more marriage licenses until same-sex marriage becomes a reality.

I am sure other churches will appreciate the increased business.
_____

Prosecutors in L.A. have filed papers stating they want a judge to ignore Roman Polanski's request to drop those ancient sex charges which should have been dropped eons ago because they want him to appear in person.
_____

Logistics abound in how to transport a 1,000-pound woman accused to murdering her 2-year-old nephew to trial.
_____

A U.S. judge has been indicted on more sex charges.
_____