S.C. Bans Gay Marriage

[Ian David]

Source: Washington Post

By SEANNA ADCOX
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 22, 2007; 6:41 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina officially banned gay marriage Thursday as legislative leaders ratified a constitutional amendment approved by voters in November.

New Hampshire, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction, with a state House panel endorsing the creation of civil unions for same-sex couples.

South Carolina was among eight states with gay marriage bans on the ballot last year. The measures passed everywhere except Arizona.

Nearly four out of five South Carolina voters approved the amendment, which reads, "A marriage between one man and one woman is the only lawful domestic union that shall be valid or recognized in this state."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/22/AR2007032201580.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Please don't make this worse

by perpetuating a horrible stereotype.

[customerserviceguy]

8. But...

in South Carolina, you can marry your first cousin. Only about half of the states allow that.

We've lived as a nation with about half of the states allowing first cousin marriage, and half not allowing it, without the Supreme Court getting involved. I envision a situation where equal marriage is allowed in about half of the states (certainly most, if not all of the blue states), and disallowed in the red states. That will persist for about a generation, then we will have a Supreme Court decision that says "separate but equal" was not OK for education, it's not OK for marriage, either. By that point, most of the fundies who are the bulk of the opposition to equal marriage will have died off.

[Le Taz Hot]

9. I was referring to the spirit of your

post. But, of course, you knew that. The TOPIC was a ban on gay marriage in SC, NOT marrying one's cousin. That wide-eyed innocent bit won't work here.

[B3Nut]

2. Sadly, my state did the same thing

though I was somewhat surprised, but Wisconsin is more purple than blue in reality. At least Dane County retains a progressive streak, voters here handed the gay marriage ban a resounding "no", but the redder areas have become infested with fundamentalists. It's sad when Arizona passes a more progressive measure than Wisconsin! Christ on a trailer hitch...

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[UnrepentantUnitarian]

4. Ahhh, but we're taking RedStatism to a whole new level!

Our fine South Carolina state legislature (you know, the "We Start Wars,
So You Folks Can Finish Them," state) not only gave final approval
to a bill banning gay marriage, they are currently considering a bill to
require women to view an ultrasound of their "babies" before being
allowed to have an abortion. (Thinking here is that shaming and
intimidating a person may "save a life or two"?)

But now--drumroll--there's a bill to allow "religious displays" in public
spaces. According to today's Charleston Post and Courier newspaper,
the legislation will push the envelope of a 2005 Supreme Court ruling
by allowing a mish-mash assortment of religious and secular displays.
(Man, to what lengths some folks will go to force their beliefs on
others.) Here's what this "display" must include;

-- The Ten Commandments
-- The Magna Carta
-- The Mayflower Compact
-- The Declaration of Independence
-- The Preamble to the U. S. Constution
-- The Bill of Rights
-- The "Star Spangled Banner"
-- The Pledge of Allegiance
-- The Pledge to the South Carolina Flag
-- The Preamble to the South Carolina Constitution
-- In God We Trust
-- Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech
-- The Mickey Mouse Club pledge.
-- The Desiderata, and the Deteriorata

(OK, I made the last two up. Honestly, though, shouldn't there be
something light in there somewhere, or maybe a few award-winning
food recipes? What about basic hygiene?)

Maybe this will hold us until the "Christian Exodus" folks get their
new "Christian Nation" project established here.

(I asked my wife if she'd move with me to Vermont, but she'd not
budging, so I guess I'll just be a "Vermontian in my mind." )

[B3Nut]

5. ...wow.

Someone should "innocently" (cough, chuckle) suggest the addition of a few choice quotes from Jefferson, Paine, Ingersoll, or Zappa along with the rest of that...bet that gets their knickers in a twist! :D

Those Christain Exodus folks are just plain whacked...scary people. Damn...

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[yardwork]

6. No Wiccan Rede?

On the other hand, it might be a good idea to post the Constitution and the Bill of Rights more often and more conspicuously. Some folks might even read them!

[noonwitch]

18. Michigan banned it, too

Michigan is sort of a purple state, too. Most of the state, in geographical terms, is republican. Most of the population lives in southeasern Michigan, which is more democratic than republican, with enough swing voters to have given us 12 years of Engler, 2 elections for Reagan and one election for Bush I.

[UnyieldingHierophant]

7. The decision was made where is should be made...the state level

although many may consider it ridiculous?

[Le Taz Hot]

10. Oh, this should be good.

:popcorn:

[UnyieldingHierophant]

11. .

;)

[Doctor_J]

13. Sure. Maybe slavery should be a states right issue too

Wait. We already fought that war.

[UnyieldingHierophant]

16. No, there's a constitional rule against that I think*

FTF

[Occulus]

29. Question: how do you feel about contracts, as a single contract applies to any two states?

I breathlessly await your answer.

ed.: clar.

[Doctor_J]

12. They were on my secession list anyway

The sooner all the sane people move out of SC the better.

[David__77]

14. As if it weren't banned already.

The only good part is that they've spend their political force on this issue. Now they'll have to think of new anti-gay attacks like what I don't know. But I imagine that they'll backfire.

[msongs]

15. can black people marry other black people yet it S.C.? nt

[donco6]

17. Frankly, I'm surprised . . .

. . . that SC allows gays to LIVE there.

Is that a stereotype? If so, I sincerely apologize.

[VegasWolf]

19. The South, where the Bible freaks outnumber the rational people. nt

[Spiffarino]

23. That's not true!

I live in the South and I really resent that unfair characterization. The gun freaks also outnumber rational people.

[VegasWolf]

25. I know the South too. A church on every corner! SC want's to be the Christian 3-headed god's most

favorite place. And there a lot of gun freaks too. I guess they go hand in hand.

[Spiffarino]

26. Why is that do you suppose?

When did Jesus suddenly strap on an AK?

Their forced marriage of Christianity and war is a very dysfunctional one.

[VegasWolf]

30. Exactly, and not a recent phenomenon either. The Catholic Church and

the Crusades, the land grabs in the New World to convert the "heathen" Mayans. On and on, religion is always a great tool of politicians because religion so easily controls the masses of people.

[xchrom]

20. tapeworms. lots of tapeworms.

[MasonJar]

21. A sad state, South Carolina DUers! I just hope Kentucky is not next.

After being democratic for most of my long life, the trend here is really discouraging...especially with Mitch "no campaign reform" McConnell as the Minority leader now. Can we ever get rid of him, Kentucky? Jim Bunning was probably going to lose in 04 until Mitch called in all the markers and put some kind of bigoted agenda on the ballot to get out the rabid. He is an embarrassment not only to Kentucky, but also to the human race. 08 may be our last chance.

[Spiffarino]

22. Surprise, surprise.

Next they will declare Bush the state Pope and encourage their citizenry to execute anyone who "don't look right."

Südcarolina über Alles!

[Unvanguard]

24. And civil unions with it.

Utterly disgusting.

[JerseygirlCT]

27. I'm so convinced that in the long run, this issue will end up at the Supreme Court

And marriage will be determined to be a civil right, and such laws as SC's will be judged unconstitutional.

[melody]

28. Apparently a lot of latent gays in South Carolina, still stuck in denial

All they're doing is setting themselves up to lose vast segments of affluent population and
to eventually so marginalize the state that only the dirt poor will want to live there. What
a sad fate for the land of many of my ancestors. Good luck to all the blue SC folk.