w00t w00t booyah

Following the enactment of Colorado's Amendment 2, its opponents filed suit claiming that it unlawfully singled out gays and lesbians as a class to deny them rights that other citizens not only possess but take for granted. These rights include access to housing, government services, public accommodations and public and private employment opportunities without regard to an individual's race, sex, religion, age, ancestry, political belief or other characteristic that defines each of us as a unique human being. Amendment 2, the opponents argued, therefore denied gays and lesbians the equal protection of the laws, which is a guarantee of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

To the surprise of many, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed.

Writing for a 6-3 majority in Romer vs. Evans (1996), Justice Anthony M. Kennedy explained that it "is not within our constitutional tradition to enact laws of this sort. Central both to the idea of the rule of law and to our own Constitution's guarantee of equal protection is the principle that government and each of its parts remain open on impartial terms to all who seek its assistance."

Guys, this is a civil issue. It's been one for over a decade.

Guess this is another Supreme Court ruling Palin wasn't familiar with either.

Ya can't toss 'em for being something. Anything. Green with racing stripes. Anything.

You can toss 'em when they break a law. Not THAT one. There's a bunch of them, though. The ones enacted by a body separated from the church, by the people, for the people - yanno, that one?

I'll say it again - those laws? Are not for you. Largely, not for you. They're there to protect the people who are NOT you. That you don't know, and hell - may never have reason to know. Doesn't matter - and please? Quit trying to figure it out when you have no contact with the issue and end up demonizing it instead, okay?

Because we all have some basic rights - and it can be pretty hard to make sure everyone gets theirs when there's a basic human trait that insists you HAVE to single out The Other in your midst. (It's part of early child development - it's part of defining your sense of Self, separating yourself from others early on...it's coming to the conclusion that different is Not Bad that's also part of growing up too.) Who knows? Without them, there would be someone pointing a finger at YOU someday - for whatever reason, pick one - and that would make as much sense as this does to me.

Even when it doesn't make a bit of difference in the end. Without the hue and cry, I seriously doubt anyone would notice.

I've got more for this later today - see you in a bit.

Following the enactment of Colorado's Amendment 2, its opponents filed suit claiming that it unlawfully singled out gays and lesbians as a class to deny them rights that other citizens not only possess but take for granted. These rights include access to housing, government services, public accommodations and public and private employment opportunities without regard to an individual's race, sex, religion, age, ancestry, political belief or other characteristic that defines each of us as a unique human being. Amendment 2, the opponents argued, therefore denied gays and lesbians the equal protection of the laws, which is a guarantee of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

To the surprise of many, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed.

Writing for a 6-3 majority in Romer vs. Evans (1996), Justice Anthony M. Kennedy explained that it "is not within our constitutional tradition to enact laws of this sort. Central both to the idea of the rule of law and to our own Constitution's guarantee of equal protection is the principle that government and each of its parts remain open on impartial terms to all who seek its assistance."

Guys, this is a civil issue. It's been one for over a decade.

Guess this is another Supreme Court ruling Palin wasn't familiar with either.

Ya can't toss 'em for being something. Anything. Green with racing stripes. Anything.

You can toss 'em when they break a law. Not THAT one. There's a bunch of them, though. The ones enacted by a body separated from the church, by the people, for the people - yanno, that one?

I'll say it again - those laws? Are not for you. Largely, not for you. They're there to protect the people who are NOT you. That you don't know, and hell - may never have reason to know. Doesn't matter - and please? Quit trying to figure it out when you have no contact with the issue and end up demonizing it instead, okay?

Because we all have some basic rights - and it can be pretty hard to make sure everyone gets theirs when there's a basic human trait that insists you HAVE to single out The Other in your midst. (It's part of early child development - it's part of defining your sense of Self, separating yourself from others early on...it's coming to the conclusion that different is Not Bad that's also part of growing up too.) Who knows? Without them, there would be someone pointing a finger at YOU someday - for whatever reason, pick one - and that would make as much sense as this does to me.

Even when it doesn't make a bit of difference in the end. Without the hue and cry, I seriously doubt anyone would notice.

I've got more for this later today - see you in a bit.