As someone of the LGBT persuasion, this story makes me muy happy http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/02/01/washington-gay-marriage_n_1248801.html
Nice! The worst part is that the federal government still doesn't have to recognize same-sex marriages. Hopefully one day that will change, or at least the federal government will relinquish power to the states, which would be much better. I don't see any of that happening anytime soon, though.
As long we keep winning states I think the federal gov't will eventually have no choice but to legalize it out right or just give states the choice of recognizing or not. I think as younger generations get into office as well, we'll see a shift in our direction
I know you were being silly, but I never said you couldn't use the word gay in *this* context. I just meant don't say things like "oh he's a fag" or "this song is so gay". That's being disrespectful to the LGBT community. This thread is fine.
This should happen at the federal level. Why should a couple be denied the right to marry because of the state they live in? It's not fair to make a gay couple have to spend money traveling to another state to get a marriage that isn't even recognized in their home state.
In an politically ideal world, you would have a federal government that gives the people 100% of their freedom, which would allow everyone in all 50 states to live the way they want as long as they don't infringe on anyone else, regardless if the states agree with those laws. Unfortunately, that will never happen. When you have an entity that is capable of giving and taking freedoms like that for an entire nation, it's dangerous to give it more power than the states. The only way it can possibly be better than state power is if the federal government is 100% incorruptible, and that will always be a fantasy. Gay rights is just one example. Drug prohibition is another. The NDAA. And soon to be internet laws. The list goes on. There's plenty of states and people out there that don't want any of that stuff that the federal level is forcing on them. While it would be nice for the federal government to have everyone's freedom in mind, that's not the case. And even if it were the case, people in different areas might have different ideas of freedom. The more localized the power, the more that level of government can listen to its citizens.
See, if you say it like that, it seems like it's a very realistic idea. However if the federal government gives the states a lot more power and freedom, USA would become a lot more divided. The individual states would be more like individual countries. There is a chance of even states fighting against each other or trying to become independent nations. Yes, I do think the federal government should loosen some grip on some things, but to make all the states almost independent of the federal government is a bad idea. They have to have somewhat of a control over the states. What I just said isn't rediculous at all, because the northern and the southern states have very different views on many aspects. It's not about liberty or the freedom of the people. It's about making sure America stays stable.
There's nothing wrong with each state seceding. It's actually allowed in the constitution. Secession allows a state to break away from an overreaching government. And there's no reason for states to fight with each other. If there's any fighting, it would be the federal government doing it to the states that secede. Centralization has caused most of the problems we're facing today. Unfortunately, we're all taught the opposite when we're growing up in school and we're made to fear decentralization. It doesn't lead to wars or chaos. It just leads to more personal and economic freedom. Like if Washington is sick of the federal government restricting their freedoms, including gay marriage, they can secede and just live the way they want to. They would still have the state government, and the citizens would have their views better represented.
Hmm, obvious troll is obvious. So let's see who this person really is. *Does IP Check* Oh how interesting: Dean, I felt truly sorry for you after what you told me a month ago in regards to what you were going through personally (and your excuses for your behavior), but as more time goes on and you continue to create troll accounts primarily for the sake of wasting our time, my empathy for you is running dry. Please kindly get a life, stop wasting your time trolling internet forums (because we really don't care), and find another place to inhabit because you've officially ruined any chance of you ever being welcome back here (even with a ban appeal). Have a good day.
If you really want people to have more freedom, why can't the federal government legalize gay marriage for every state? Yeah, there will be people who would become pissed off, but it would get more "freedom" for the LGBT community. By your definition, it would get more liberty for people. People would live the way they want to freely. However we all know that it won't happen for many years. :/
You just answered your question. The federal government has the ability to grant freedoms to everyone in the nation, but it also has the power to restrict freedoms of everyone in the nation. It's very dangerous. Having our freedoms that vulnerable isn't ideal. You want to give government the least chance possible to have a disastrous effect on the nation. The bigger the chance, the more evil people will try to abuse that power. The less chance, the more honest people you will have in there. Right now we have old, stupid men in there making decisions about the internet (along with many, many other things) for the entire nation, and even the world in that case. A few months ago we had the NDAA. Years ago we had the Patriot Act. All of these things are being passed for monetary reasons, and they wouldn't be possible if we didn't grant the federal government so much power. There are a few states that are fighting back and saying they won't allow the federal government to swoop in and use their NDAA powers and that they'll arrest any federal officers that try to use federal force in their state. So things are getting pretty ugly around here.
Washington is now the seventh state in the union to permit gay marriages. When Governor Chris Gregoire signed the bill into law on Monday, a strong opposition promises to have it repealed. Source of article: Same-sex marriage signed into law in Washington State. I agree that it is a good news that finally they legalizes this gay marriage. Gays suffered already from so much discrimination and this marriage is just what they asking for, to legalize it. Everybody deserves to love and be loved and choose who we want to be with for the rest of our lives. The government should finally give it to them. I love gays because I'm happy with them. And I support gay marriage all the way!