Attorneys for Pa.’s Republican governor say gay couples, just like 12-year-olds, can’t marry

[IDemo]

Source: Washington Post

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Marriage licenses given to same-sex couples in the state are invalid because the couples were barred from marrying, just like 12-year-olds, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s attorneys said Wednesday.

Corbett’s administration has filed a lawsuit seeking to block same-sex marriage licenses in Montgomery County, where Register of Wills D. Bruce Hanes has issued more than 150 to gay and lesbian couples since July 24.

State attorneys said in a court filing on Wednesday the gay marriage licenses have no “value or legitimacy” and can’t be defended in court. They compared gay and lesbian couples to children, who can’t marry because a 1996 law says marriage is between a man and a woman.

“Had the clerk issued marriage licenses to 12-year-olds in violation of state law, would anyone seriously contend that each 12-year-old ... is entitled to a hearing on the validity of his ‘license’?” the state wrote, according to a story on the Philly.com news website (http://bit.ly/1fk0xSf).

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/attorneys-for-pas-republican-governor-say-gay-couples-just-like-12-year-olds-cant-marry/2013/08/28/531c2c7a-1054-11e3-a2b3-5e107edf9897_story.html

[Suich]

1. Gay couples wanting to marry, is

EXACTLY like 12 year olds wanting to marry....yeah...right...the exact same thing.

[madashelltoo]

2. Did anyone expect anything different from Corbett?

Really? Why?

[Nevernose]

3. Didn't "marrying box turtles" come from PA?

Is there not a single place in this country that's not hopelessly fucked up? *sigh*

[jmowreader]

12. That was John Cornyn, Republican of Texas

Rick Santorum, Republican of PA, was Mr. Man-on-Dog.

[gopiscrap]

4. fucking idiots

[handmade34]

5. +1

my thought exactly...

[SunSeeker]

6. Corbett shoulda been concerned about the 12-year-olds getting raped at Penn State.

I wonder if his brilliant legal eagles advised him to ignore the 12-year-olds getting raped at Penn State.

Hey Corbett, since your attorneys do not appear to be giving you sound advice, here's my advice, and I won't even send you a bill: No one is trying to marry 12-year-olds, you douchebag. These are just consenting adults looking to exercise the right to marry the one they love. It is illegal for the state to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Why is that concept so foreign to you?

[lunasun]

9. +1 well said

[truthisfreedom]

7. Dirty fucking mind.

Obsessed with underage sex.

[DallasNE]

13. Except When It Was Going On At Penn State

Where his hands are dirty.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. "The state's" argument is so full of baloney that only a lawyer could have thought of it

More specifically, a shyster.

I paraphrase Churchill, who said something about an idea being so stupid that only an intellectual could have thought of it.

The idea of not allowing a child to enter into a marriage is to protect the child. Is the idea of not allowing two homosexuals to marry to protect either of the homosexuals? I think most gay people I know, who are adults, would assert that they are responsible for making their own mistakes and don't need that kind of protection.

And to draw the conclusion that the plaintiffs in a lawsuit are not even entitled to a hearing on the issue? Just run that one by the judge.

[BainsBane]

10. There truly is no limit to the stupidity of GOP pols

[Moonwalk]

11. It's not stupidity that there's no limit on, it's that there's no limit on what they'll try....

...or say or do to get their way. Sometimes that means they'll do stupid things, other times disgraceful, evil, immoral, unethical, cruel, vile....

Well. You get the idea. Stupid is just one of many things there's no limit on when they want what they want and aim to get it.

[blkmusclmachine]

14. The GOPee just can't help letting their inner stupid shine brightly for all to see.

IMHO

[DebJ]

15. Just one more reason I can't wait for November 2014.

The ONLY good thing about living in Pennsyltuckey (south central PA) is that I get to vote
against these deranged, evil, sick bastids.

[tofuandbeer]

16. Mother may I? Take one giant step backward?

[Supersedeas]

18. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad

[ehrnst]

17. The fact that the concept of 'consent' is always ignored or negated

In these arguments is not only willfully ignorant, it's creepy.

[EC]

19. I think Corbett's going to lose this one... n/t

[dballance]

20. Do I really need to point out 12-year-olds are minors?

Minors cannot legally enter into a contract. Minors get tried (for the most part) in juvenile court. Minors can't legally consent to sexual relations.

That he's making such an obviously stupid argument as comparison just goes to show they don't have a real, valid argument against same-sex marriage.

On Edit: I think a court, based on the age and maturity of minors, can find the state has a compelling interest in protecting a minor from marriage. The same cannot be said for same-sex couples of legal age to marry. The state really has no compelling interest to interfere with their relationship.

[happyslug]

21. Till the late 1990s, 12 years olds could marry in Pennylsvania

PA Supreme Court made that ruling in a case where a Teacher was having sex with a 12 year old student. His defense was they had entered into a valid Common Law Marriage. The age of consent to have sex, under the Common Law, had been 12 and since the State Legislature had NEVER addresses Common Law Marriages at all, the Age of Consent to enter into a Valid Common Law Marriage remained at age 12 (The State Legislature made it the law you had to be over 18 to enter into a Common Law Marriage soon after that decision, then in Abolish the right to enter into Common Law Marriages after January 1, 2005).

And in that case, the Court also ruled that Consent of the 12 year old's parents was also NOT needed, for that had been the Common Law Rule in England and thus also in Pennsylvania.

[ehrnst]

22. A GOP lawyer that doesn't know why 12-year-olds can't marry legally...

because he doesn't get the whole 'consent' concept.

Keep kids and livestock away from this guy.

[marble falls]

23. However 12 year olds can apparently be elected governor or his attorneys.