The notion of legalizing gay marriage is working its way steadily through the federal courts and, so far so good. The courts continue to like the idea of ending discrimination against homosexuals under the same constitutional clauses that helped the civil rights movement in the last century.
You’d think the various states would just sit still for a while until the Supreme Court has its say on the matter. But no. North Carolina, which I’m guessing is just north of that other ridiculous state that I wrote about repeatedly in 2009, is going to jump in anyway.
On May 8 North Carolina voters will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriages. The amendment would read in part “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
Not to bring up the good ol’ days of southern glory, but you’d think that just this one time these people from the Carolinas would hit the pause button before doing something that will justify all the jokes.
This is the state, after all, that had a constitutional ban on mixed race marriages until…1971. In my humble opinion, citizens a hundred years from now will look back at these constitutional amendments banning same sex marriages and have a very similar icky feeling to the one that you will have reading the below:
All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between a white person of negro descent to the third generation inclusive, are hereby forever prohibited.
This is largely a party issue, although it shouldn’t be. The Democrats have as much to be ashamed of here as the Republicans (Clinton signed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act).
We can do better. Imagine how you’d feel if someone told you that you couldn’t marry because you’re different than they are. This is exactly wrong.
Uncrunched 