(Texas) House approves amendment to ban gay marriage under constitution

[MazeRat7]

http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=135971

MZr7

[renaissanceguy]

1. Big surprise. n/t

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21272075

[amber dog democrat]

2. What I expected

Texas as ususal has a political mean streak - going back to before the Civil War.

We have our own version of the Taliban.

[devilgrrl]

3. I feel safer already

:sarcasm:

[silverlib]

4. My marriage is soooo

much better! And I thought it was fine already. This will also help our economy and our education system, as well as our social services, which are the best in the nation. We Texans can now be really, really proud!

[daleo]

5. The pope said gay marriage was causing the earth's deserts to expand.

I read some such irrational statement in my copy of the Globe and Mail today. We seem to be entering a period reminiscent of the witch hunts.

[NYC]

8. Did he really say that?

I don't suppose he explained his remark?

Texas would do better to spend its time and energy investigating corruption.

[daleo]

10. Well, the newspaper report conjoins the two ideas anyway:

"The external deserts in the world are growing because the internal deserts have become so vast", he said...
With representatives of Europe's royal families and more than 100 heads of state and government leaders sitting in the dignitaries' chairs just a few meters away, he rebuked the "powerful of this world" who he said have engaged in "the domination of corruption, the manipulation of law and freedom to do as they pleased."...
Indeed last week in its first public statement...the Vatican condemned the initial step taken by Spain's Parliament to approve same sex marriage and it instructed Spanish Catholic civil servants to refuse to marry homosexual couples, even if it means the loss of their jobs." (Today's Globe front page).

I presume the reporter, Micheal Valpy, was getting at something when he put these ideas together. He is usually a pretty solid commentator.

[NYC]

11. This sounds more like a slap at Bush

than a slap at Zapatero to me:

...he rebuked the "powerful of this world" who he said have engaged in "the domination of corruption, the manipulation of law and freedom to do as they pleased."...

Hyperbole?
...external deserts in the world are growing because the internal deserts have become so vast...

Who knows? I wonder how the job losses for the "faithful" are going in Spain. Does the pope intend to send them money to pay the rent? I just can't see the Vatican financing such "job action".

[daleo]

16. The previous pope did speak out against corporatism at times

He actually seemed to be unhappy with unbridled capitalism, so perhaps this one is the same. It would be nice to think that he won't be willing to go along with Bush's future war plans, anyway. And I have no doubt that Bush does have future war plans.

Yes, I very much doubt the church will support these Spanish civil servants if they were to lose their jobs on a point of principle. I think they would be expected to just take one for the team. It is a bit reminiscent of being in favor of carrying a pregnancy to term at all costs, but then letting the chips fall where they may once the child is born - economically, I mean.

[More Than A Feeling]

6. They are going to run out of states that will ban it soon

and lose their best GOTV issue on the ballot. Another reason to hope in 2006/08

[Unions]

13. It's sad some people still don't get it

Have your learned anything from the past election and events thus far? The religious nuts are at the helm right now. This is NOT just a "ballot issue" for them - they are driven by HATE and we need to acknowledge it before it's too late.

[More Than A Feeling]

14. I know better than you think

I just completed an internship at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. It was my job to know about this sort of thing. I am fully aware of the infernal machinations of the religious rightists.

Anyway, I am curious to know what the difference is between a reaction based on the idea that they are driven by hate versus one based on the idea that it is a "ballot issue". Wouldn't the reaction be to fight in either case?

[PartyPooper]

7. Remind me never to set foot in that state again.

I would rather fly through almost any other city or state in the US than set foot in Texas.

I'll spend my time and my money elsewhere, thank you.

[Dover]

9. GOP working hard to gather their relig. right base and frame the debate.

They can hardly talk about the REAL issues...the economy, jobs, health, Iraq, etc.

[rainbow4321]

12. And 18 fucking TX Dems helped it pass...

http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/

HJR6, the bill that would make gay marriage Double Secret Illegal via a constitutional amendment, passed out of the House today by a 101-26 vote. As this was a vote on a proposed Constitutional amendment, the magic number was 100, as in 100 votes to pass. With every Republican but Martha Wong (who did not vote) casting an Aye plus three Republicans absent, that means it took 17 Democrats to take this disgusting thing one step closer to reality. Eighteen of them shamefully stepped up. Here are the bad guys:

<snip>

There is one minor consolation at this time:
For the ban to be incorporated in the Texas Constitution, it must next be approved by 21 of 31 senators. Chisum said no senator has agreed to sponsor the bill in the upper chamber. If approved by the Legislature, the ban must also be approved by a majority of Texas voters Nov.

<snip>

[BlueIris]

15. You mean, same-sex marriage is not illegal in TX?!

Color me shocked. Uh, go Texas? Until...today, I guess.