Addendum

[eredien]

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence

Okay. So this new thing about how they want to create an amendment legally defining marriage and in effect blocking homosexual couples from marriage. (Rush has a good discussion on her journal).

Can I just point out that that would violate at least two out of the three for many people, and even the first, depending on how one defines "Life?"

I know, I know. The Declaration is not the Constitution, isn't the Bill of Rights. My opinons based on the Declaration aren't lawfully diddlysquat anything.

But it's sure emotionally, and intellectually, and--dare I say it--spiritually something.

We aren't guaranteed happiness by the Declaration. We aren't even guaranteed happiness by God. But we shouldn't be stopped from persuing it. That's all.

Comments

coming soon to a LJ near you

[weirdquark]

It doesn't matter. The 14th Amendment should take care of it.

"Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

I realize of course, the federal government is not 'the state wherein' I reside. But creating laws that deny a group of people the right to marry are unconsitutional. Especially since the courts have ruled elsewhere that marriage is a fundamental right.

Oh, and for those people that say marriage is a privilege and not a right? 14th amendment says the state isn't supposed to touch those either.

I take comfort in the fact that MA has to legalize same-sex marriage by May and even if they do get an amendement to make it illigal running, it won't be up for vote until 2005.

Re: coming soon to a LJ near you

[jcfiala.livejournal.com]

Well, the problem with that is that Bush (and some others) seem interested in a consitutional amendment, not a new law. They can see that the laws are getting struck down, so they're going to the next logical step.

To a degree, I'm interested in them continuing this because I think it will fail - Amendments aren't easy to pass, and they require basically both congress and the states to agree on something - which I think is more difficult now a days with 50 states then it was back when there were only 30 or so. And I think that if it does fail, then that's going to stop this once and for all.

-john

[rjtremor.livejournal.com]

Wow, Americans doing what we do best. Double-talking. Poor Thomas... if he knew his words would be ignored like they are right now, he'd be rollin' in his grave.

[eredien]

Hi! Who're you? Your icon is neat.

[rjtremor.livejournal.com]

*Chuckles* A random replier who's a wolf and a dragon and crazy and saying hello there! And it'a almost 2am for me, so that would explain the crazy part. Mind if I add you to my friends list?

Now I'm wondering which icon I used... o.o

[rjtremor.livejournal.com]

*Grins* Ahhhhh, that icon. Was a picture done for me by an artist named Sarah Combs a few years back, when RJ, the wolf in that picture, was a new character of mine... back in 2K... wow... ^.^ she's got art out there still yet... one of my all-time favorite pics... wish I could have had the original, but eh... =o)