Iowa House vote 62-38 to put discrimination in Iowa Constitution

[rurallib]

Yep 60 pukes + 2 damn dumb dems.
Heard this on IPR @noon or so. Lawrence O'Donnell mentioned it on his show tonight.
So I wrote my puke rep, Jeff Kaufmann. He's an up and comer and likes to claim he is open minded.
========================================================================================

Jeff,
I was extremely disappointed to hear that all the Republicans plus two Democrats in the Iowa House of Representatives voted today to enshrine discrimination in Iowa’s most sacred document – its Constitution.
The Iowa Constitution is no place for discrimination. When the state allows one set of citizens to be allowed to enter into a contract and then disallows others to enter into the same contract because of their sexual orientation, there is no other word for it but state sanctioned, state sponsored discrimination.
Frankly I am very surprised that you would vote in this way. I was of the opinion that you were a little more open minded than most. I will re-adjust my opinion of you accordingly.
I will guess that neither you nor the others voting for state sponsored discrimination have ever experienced true discrimination in your lives. I have in only a small degree as a youngster growing up Catholic. When you feel the stabs of the little comments, the looks that say you are not as good as others, being excluded from activities based on what you are – on and on. You never forget those comments, those looks, those exclusions. For me the pain has lingered and when I see discrimination I stand up and say to those who discriminate “You are wrong.”
Jeff you and your cronies are wrong.
May I remind you that states meddling in marriage began after the Civil War to keep races from marrying?
May I remind you that by denying certain adults to marry that you also deny them of some 1700 rights and privileges from the state that only go to those who marry?
I am recently a grandfather, Jeff. I have no idea whether my grandbaby will be hetero or homosexual. I will love him no matter which. But I will be ashamed to tell him that my state – the state that has always been at the forefront of civil liberties, indeed once a beacon for all others, will treat him as a second class citizen if his sexual orientation is not the acceptable one.
I once thought you were a leader. Yet with a chance to lead on a true human and civil rights issue you choose to run with the pack that panders for votes by denying full rights to those who are a little different.
One claim from those opposed to marriage equality is that it will denigrate marriage. Marriage equality is legal in several countries including Canada. Is Canada falling apart? If you really want to help marriage as an institution make divorce illegal and end gambling in Iowa. Those two things are killing marriage as an institution.
And having watched the Republican Party use homosexuals as a wedge issue for decades, I doubt you will change your vote. Actually I doubt I will get an answer on this. But I just want you to know discrimination hurts and hurts bad. Especially when it is state sponsored.

[kdtroxel]

1. Love is Illegal

Another basic liberty is chipped away by the moral high ground rule of the bible beltway state of Iowa. Anti-gay rights laws is the majority passing sentence and restrictions upon a minority group. Freedom and right to happiness is expressed in the USA constitution. Writing into the Iowa constitution that gay minority groups will never have the rights and privileges of heterosexual couples is biased, anti-liberty, segregation, unethical, and unconstitutional to the spirit of that document. All people must have the right to express their love with whomever sex they wish in a formal declaration to their loved ones and with state recognition. I condemn all those who signed this bill into law and state constitutional amendment. These people have drawn a line in the sand and said, liberty ends here for this group, the question next is who will be the next group to have their liberties impinged upon.

[rurallib]

2. Welcome to DU.

Nothing like pandering politicians and judges being cowed into submission.
It actually amazes me that there were ever people with enough moral fiber in this country to end slavery. And to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.