DOMA & Prop 8 go down!
By Thom Hartmann A...
The Supreme Court has struck down DOMA, and cleared the way for same-sex marriage to resume in the state of California. In two landmark decisions today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of equality. The Defense of Marriage Act was ruled unconstitutional in a 5 to 4 ruling, as a violation of the equal protection guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment.
Essentially, the Court ruled that DOMA discriminates against same-sex couples by denying them equal protection under the law. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, which stated, “The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity.”
In the Proposition 8 case, the Supreme Court turned away the private sponsors of the anti-equality measure, saying they lacked standing to bring the case. The Justices said that because the state of California refused to fight a federal court ruling that struck down Proposition 8, private sponsors had no right to challenge the lower court's decision. Chief Justice John Roberts spoke for the majority, and said, “We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here.”
As the rulings were announced, equality advocates celebrated outside the Court. The decisions mark a historic step forward in our nation's recognition of same-sex couples. There will still be state-by-state battles, but as of today, the federal government may not discriminate against anyone because they marry the person they love.
Comments
#2
As a lesbian from KY, I am cautiosly optomistic. The SCOTUS pretty much paved the way for a violation of the 14th amendment when it comes to equal protection of marriage law across all states..I would have prefered they remind states that according to the 14th amendment, no state may deny equal protection of the laws. SO where from here? Keep on keepin' on! Thanks as always Thom...
#3
On same-sex marriage and all marriage: DON'T DO IT!!!
#4
The federal statute was never valid because it discriminated against citizens already protected by state laws intended to prevent such discrimination. I think that's what Kennedy was trying to say!
A victory for all humanity!
#5
"The only marriage I approved of was my parents." Don't remember where the quote came from.
I never thought the tax advantage married couples had was fair.
#6
Funny thing.....a gay co-worker/friend of mine said the same thing to me today, and she's one of the more intelligent people I know.
#7
Oh the tangled web we weave.
I certainly do appreciate the wit...It's just sometimes so true that it's overwhelmingly tragic...Even scarry!!!
#8
David, You forgot the Cheney- brand yellow cake uranium.....without it the dough won't rise or should I say disappear by the pallet full.
#9
sandlewould, When the heck are you folks down in KY gonna get rid of Turtleman?
#10
This is a great day for the United States of America. I have long suspected that the main fears many conservative heterosexuals have toward gay marriage is both the 'closeted' fear that gay legal unions would threaten their own mislabeled sexuality; as well as, the possibility that the divorce rate amongst gay couples may be drastically lower than heterosexual couples. Whatever the case may be it is refreshing that now that all the cards are on the table we may have the opportunity to learn the truth about these relationship mysteries and advance our civilized social understanding by leaps and bounds.
Kudos for SCOTUS! Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
#11
Quote 2950-10K:sandlewould, When the heck are you folks down in KY gonna get rid of Turtleman?
sandlewould ~ Now that's a fair question.
#12
David Abbot ~ Warning! Do not make this recipe! I have followed the instructions perfectly and no one in my family could swallow it. In fact it made them gag and upset their stomachs.
However, it did work perfectly in the cat litter box. This stuff absorbs CS just as fast as it absorbs BS. Go figure!
#13
Hurray for the Gay Community!!! But now is not the time to start dancing in the street. Todays SCOTUS ruling against D.O.M.A. was just them tossing a bone to the angry mob, while other pressing issues that adversley affect ALL AMERICANS - gay & straight - continues to go on. What issues you ask??? Well for starters Corporations are still recognized by the Supreme Court as a Person with a voice ($$$) and Civil Rights Protected under the U.S. Constitution. While Unions are stripped of collective bargaining power, and more jobs are shipped overseas. Secondly, and this is a spin off from the formentioned, organizations such as Americans for Prosperity, Citizens United, and ALEC, just to name a few have sprung up, do to the Supreme Court ruling that Corporations are a People and Money is a Voice. These organizations with there flag waving patriotic names are actually more evil than good that they use money secretly donated by the multi-billion dollar corporations to lobby against issues such as; Increasing Minimum Wage, Workers Rights, Universal Health Care, Renewable Energy, etc. They also support a Paramilitary Police, & Voter Surpretion Laws. In a nut shell such organizations and the corporations that fund them are truely Enemies of a Democratic system Of, For, and By the People...Real People like you and me...Not McDonalds, Wal Mart Verizon, Haliburton, etc.
Secondly the United States Government is still sanctioning deadly Drone Strikes against innocent people. And as we have just recently learned thanks to the brave and selfless act of one young man Snowden - that our own government has been illegally collecting masses of personal information from law abiding citizens. Now for some of us this wasn't a real shocker to find out...More so the issue is how Waashington is reacting...Which is not infavour of do good whistleblowers.
So have a cheer that the LGBT Rights are acknowledged and intact but don't yet rest...WE the People need to rally and in every nonviolent way, Petition, Protest, Boycott, Vote.
On a local level my wife and I have a list of products/brands we no longer purchase, companies we no longer patron, and just recently we closed our bank accounts, both personal and buisness, as well as became contributing members of our local chapter of Transition America, all in protest of fraud, unjust policies, and unethical behaviours, by Corporations and government that we as a community, a society, a nation, have been obedient to for far too long. Our objective is to be the change that we and others want.
namasté
#14
A word from one of our better Congressmen:Quote Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fl):Today, the Supreme Court struck down bigotry, and said that justice for all includes justice for gays. This is a beautiful, historic day. Now there is a chance that my eight-year-old twins will grow up in a world without prejudice against gays and lesbians.It's worth taking a moment to remember who made sacrifices to give us this world, one that is a little more equal and a little more free. It was tens of thousands of activists, from those at Stonewall in 1969, to those who fought for treatment of individuals living with AIDS alongside ACT UP, to the hero of the day, Edith Windsor. But there's one who deserves special mention above all - his name was Harvey Milk, and he had guts.
In 1977, Milk became the first openly-gay elected official in the United States. When he ran for office, America wasn't far removed from the time that Joe McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover were blackmailing and purging homosexuals from the government. Most Americans didn't know or didn't want to know that they knew gay people, that there were gay people in their families. Anti-gay laws were legislated all over the country, and would continue becoming laws, for 30 more years. Legal state-sanctioned gay marriage seemed like an unreachable dream.
But with courage, and love, and guts, Milk acted. He spoke, he agitated, he legislated. He passed a gay rights plank for the City of San Francisco. He hit back against the hate-mongers on the other side. He encouraged gay men and women to run for office, to come out, to be who they are and to love openly whomever they love. He fought for union rights, for women's rights, and against the South African Apartheid government.
Milk knew that we are all in this together, and the movement he helped to lead has continued. Sadly, just 11 months after being elected, Milk was assassinated. Though he is not with us today, Harvey Milk's vision is.
Courage. Guts. Fearlessness. Love.
That's what Milk showed. That's what brought us justice. That's why our world is a little brighter, a little better, today.
#15
It's just throwing "us" a bone to wag the dog. The issue was important to some LBGT people who are a very tiny fraction of the population. But, to most of the rest of us, the other issues are way more important. I wonder if Scrotus would have come up with a different decision were it not for Snowden and his revelations of government crimes. Snowden is a hero. People like John Kerry are two-faced twerps that should be ashamed of themselves.
#16
Did anyone hear Melissa Harris-Perry had to say about the strike down of DOMA? The strikedown had the same problem as the voting rights SCOTUS decision. The problem is that both decisions were sending us back to a confederacy. The federal govt has no power to tell the states who can vote and who can marry. Only the states can make that decision.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
Thom & Louise at a "private audience" with His Holiness Pope John Paul II at his summer palace, Castle Gandolfo, Italy
From Screwed:
"Once again, Thom Hartmann hits the bull’s eye with a much needed exposé of the so-called ‘free market.’ Anyone concerned about the future of our nation needs to read Screwed now."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Through compelling personal stories, Hartmann presents a dramatic and deeply disturbing picture of humans as a profoundly troubled species. Hope lies in his inspiring vision of our enormous unrealized potential and his description of the path to its realization."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Thom Hartmann is a creative thinker and committed small-d democrat. He has dealt with a wide range of topics throughout his life, and this book provides an excellent cross section. The Thom Hartmann Reader will make people both angry and motivated to act."
The Twain Report
All The News That Mark Twain Says He Would Report If He Was Alive Today
6-26-2913
When it comes to reporting which plays are on Broadway, the New York Times is a very liberal newspaper. But when it comes to politics, umm… maybe not quite so liberal. For instance, when our war profiteers "need" to start a war, the Times follows this recipe: Prepare carefully by putting several naked news anchors on roller blades so they can be used as political pull-toys. Have the news anchors report fluff pieces until they are needed later in the recipe.
Combine well, until one is indistinguishable from the other: 5 cups of misunderstood rumors, endlessly repeated; 1 tablespoon of half-truths; 3 teaspoons of baseless assumptions; 20 quarts of outright lies; 4 pounds of chest-beating, complete with manly grunting; A pint of "carefull analysis and reasoning" from sociopathic fascists; 2 quarts of shameless fearmongering; Add: Five tablespoons of super-strength Jingoism Brand yeast; Two gallons of meaningless babble (if the mixture gets too dry, you can add more meaningless babble at any time); A pinch of dioxin for flavor; A pinch of Ann Coulter-Brand radioactive contamination, to add nutritive value. Have the above-mentioned naked political commentators on roller blades publicly knead and massage the resultant mess until it has a "happy ending." Set the result in an open window so lots of flies can get into it, and in a few short weeks- six months, tops- you will have your very own $5-trillion loaf of war dough. Half-bake the dough for as long as necessary on the tv and radio shows of conscienceless political commentators, and by golly, you are ready for a nice little war! If you save a portion of the dough in a cat's litter box, you can use it as starter for the next war.