Mr. Campion,
I have been reading this column for years now and I know, as well as I know all of your readers over that time do, how much the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality means to you. (EQUALITY…OF COURSE – Issue: 7/8/15) This is a landmark decision for this nation, a nation built on the concept that all will have the right to pursue their happiness without interference from the majority rule. As you have stated so eloquently in so many columns in so many ways it is hard to fathom, you CANNOT vote on rights. If women’s suffrage and the civil rights battles have taught us anything it is we owe it to all citizens to look past petty discriminations and mob rules on denied rights to our better angels, our forward-thinking nature that kicked England out, freed the slaves, provided rights denied to women and minorities over the years.
This is a celebration of America; its true values, its true measure, its truest philosophy, as much as any movement before it.
Hooray for our freedom and hooray for sharing it and as always “for liberty and justice for all.”
—Katherine Brenner
Yeah!
This is what happens when people use the Bible to try and suppress the march of progress and we shove aside bigotry and replace it with rights, real rights, for ALL citizens, not just some, ALL.
With so much division, and so much bashing of our nation and the fight over ideologies, this is what makes me proud to be an American, to live in the 21st century and to see those clinging to past mistakes and calling it faith and religion (how disgusting) to discriminate go bye-bye.
Yeah!
—Adamssss35zing
This is where this case went kablooey. The side that claims that this Supreme Court decision “redefines” marriage is completely and utterly and embarrassingly wrong. The argument itself is patently false. Made up. Stupid. Nowhere in the United States Constitution does it state that marriage is between certain sexes. It does not state it. There is no redefining in the legal sense. It is in fact not fiction defining it within the parameters of how the culture evolves. Just as it did originally not suppose that women should vote or have really any rights or that African Americans are human. Are human!!! So don’t give us that weak argument and expect it to pass legal, constitutional muster. It is sad and it had no chance of surviving scrutiny, and if the conservative judges weren’t merely acting out of ideology they would take four minutes to decide that unless there is direct stipulation in the Constitution for or against something to be measured, it cannot be denied to the citizenry. Period.
Case closed.
—Stockster
Good column—as ever.
When you gonna do one on Bernie Sanders?
—Vincent Czyz
I am not sure how to write this, James. The snark in me is strong on this one. This isn’t about rights, it’s about submission. Civil Unions with full spousal rights would have gotten the same thing while keeping marriage in its traditional form. That was compromise in finest form. No, the gay lobby would have none of that. This isn’t about accomplishing things, this is about payback and domination. The gay community is settling scores and looking for blood. Don’t agree with gay marriage? Fine but you do so with your business at risk of lawsuit. Don’t want gays in the Boy Scouts because of its faith-based background? Oh no you di’int. In fact, many gay activists are wondering where to go from here. They got all they want and are still pissed off. It’s like one gay activist who was quoted in the Washington Post: “I liked it better when we were an oppressed minority.” She was right. There was strength, camaraderie and an “us against the world” mentality which is good for both recruiting and motivation.
In conclusion, James, I will ask you the same question I have asked every single other social liberal out there (and have yet to get a reasonable or sensible answer): Where does it end? Who doesn’t get their rights or is it now a social free for all? Do pederasts get their rights now? How about polygamists? Do these newfound rights also apply to things like concealed carry laws? Come on, James, as you said, “it’s about time”…how about it? Do pedophiles finally have their desires met of reduced age of consent laws? Come on, if we are for equality and in some states, you can marry at 16, why not same sex at 16? Don’t be a hater, don’t let your ugly bigotry go on display. Who are you to define love? Do you see where this is going? Congratulations, you have helped turn our nation into a social cesspool. Let’s raise the Rainbow Flag, salute and congratulate ourselves on a job well done…we are so fucked.
Peace,
—Bill Roberts
Remember when they said if you let women vote, the next thing will be horses?
It’s been about a century now. Do horses vote??
—Marie2014
This was never a left versus right issue. It was made so by the left and the right, and believe me the left had to come kicking and screaming to its senses. This was a people issue. The people won out. Progress and reason won out. Even our supposed progressive president had to “evolve!”
Can you imagine that just 12 short years ago, just a dozen years ago that Karl Rove hatched a successful plan to re-elect George W. Bush by putting referendums on ballots across battleground states to ban gay marriage by making it an amendment to the Constitution? And now it is the law of the land. The vast majority of Americans, not Iranians, were actually voting in droves, so much so it re-elected a buffoon, to have an Amendment to refuse rights instead of provide or protect them? This happened and it happened to us a little more than a decade ago and now the polar opposite, supported by the majority of Americans and the whole of us Millennials is finally here.
This is a new age, not liberal, not conservative, not anything but American.
—Gadd
Do yourself no favors and “like” this idiot at www.facebook.com/jc.author
James Campion is the Managing Editor of The Reality Check News & Information Desk and the author of “Deep Tank Jersey”, “Fear No Art”, “Trailing Jesus”, “Midnight For Cinderella” and “Y”.
