It’s official, Pennsylvania has finally jumped on the right side of history. U.S. District Judge John Jones III has ruled that Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
The ruling is on Whitewood v. Wolf, a case filed by the ACLU of Pennsylvania last summer on behalf of two dozen Pennsylvania residents who were fighting for their right to wed, or have their out-of-state marriages recognized in the Commonwealth. The lawsuit "alleges that Pennsylvania's Defense of Marriage Act and refusal to marry lesbian and gay couples or recognize their out-of-state marriages violates the fundamental right to marry as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."
The judge, John Jones, said the following in his opinion:
“We are a better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history.”
"Ash heap of history." Oooh I like this judge.
And well I should becasue as the Friendly Atheist points out he was also the judge who destroyed the Intelligent Design movement in 2005:
Jones was assigned to the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District bench trial, the first direct challenge brought in the federal courts against a school district that mandated the teaching of intelligent design. He was praised by Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor and former head of the Department of Homeland Security, who said that "I can't imagine a better judge presiding over such an emotionally charged issue... he has an inquisitive mind, a penetrating intellect and an incredible sense of humor."
On December 20, 2005, Jones ruled that the mandate was unconstitutional in a 139-page decision.
After the ruling was handed down, some pundits immediately attacked it, notably Bill O'Reilly on Fox News accusing Jones of being a fascist and an activist judge. Casey Luskin and Jonathan Witt of the Discovery Institute, and activist Phyllis Schlafly, have leveled similar charges. Jones also received death threats as a result of which he and his family were given around-the-clock federal protection.
The danger of actually following the law when deciding a case that the Right Wing wants desperately to have a different outcome.
These same sex marriage bans are dropping like flies., and support for marriage equality is at an all time high. Which is good for the country, but it HAS to be driving the Fundamentalists around the bend.
Which, by the way, is also good for the country.
Reports say that this judge, appointed by GW Bush, was a top contender for the U.S. Supreme Court until his "intelligent design" decision.
ReplyDeleteThanks, George!
And I heard he was good buddies with Ricky Santorum, so that's gotta really burn his ass!
DeleteOnce again freedom prevails, bigotry fails.
ReplyDeleteAnd here's another piece of good news!
Federal Appeals Court Nixes Geller & Spencer’s “Disparaging” SIOA Trademark
Well, it appears that the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit doesn’t buy claims made by Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that “the essays posted on their website do not advocate suppression of the Islamic faith, but only oppose political Islamisation.”
...Is it possible that Geller & Spencer truly don’t understand how utterly hateful and unhinged they and the commenters at their websites sound to people who aren’t consumed with suspicion & fear? I doubt it—I think they know exactly what they’re doing and they’re being paid well to do it. Spending a few minutes reading their posts and the disgusting, bigoted comments their visitors leave will quickly give the lie to their claims of merely being against violent extremists. If you read the court’s decision (PDF) you’ll see that’s exactly what happened in this case.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/308600_Federal_Appeals_Court_Nixes_Ge
AND even MORE good news:
Paranoia has its limits as gun sales slump
... Put another way: paranoia has its limits as a driver of gun sales. Background checks — a proxy for sales — jumped 19% in 2012 and rose another 8% in 2013, according to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal, Background Check System.
But there’s a different story in 2014. Background checks plummeted by a third in January — and even as some of that decline was weather related, there hasn’t been a catch-up since then. Background checks were up just 1% from February to April. Taken together, background checks are down 9% this year.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/paranoia-has-its-limits-as-gun-sales-slump-2014-05-20
Oh-oh. Time for the NRA to come out with another BIG SCARE.
Yay! I really can't imagine wanting to be married but there is something to say about wanting something that you can't have and there are some reasons for people to want to legalize their relationships. Not for me, but at least we're making strides to allow everyone to be as miserable in matrimony, regardless of sexual orientation
ReplyDelete;-)
Watch this young boy's reaction to a gay couple.
ReplyDeleteWould that everyone have the same acceptance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz7_J2D3uw4
"Jones also received death threats as a result...."
ReplyDeleteHow mature and "christian"...
You bring out more crazies into the light of reason, Judge Jones. You are a hero. But stay safe, and don't open your front door at night.
Republican Lindsey Graham Attempts To Steal Women’s Rights Without Even a Vote In The Senate
ReplyDeleteThe latest Republican to introduce legislation attacking women’s right to choose is Senator Lindsey Graham who attempted to bypass a committee and asked for unanimous consent to bring the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” up for a vote. Graham also demanded that the Senate vote on a pro-women’s right bill that he vehemently opposes because he wants a record of how senators vote on each bill. Graham’s bill bans abortions after 20 weeks because of a bizarre idea the developing organism feels pain.
Medical studies and research reveal that Graham is a liar, and real medical professionals have set tenuous fetal viability a 24 weeks. Even then the mortality rate is over 44% and requires extremely invasive medical intervention to ensure survival. Graham’s bill did not include any exceptions for severe fetal or maternal health problems discovered later in a pregnancy that reveals he is not concerned with fetal health and only concerned with controlling women’s reproductive health choices.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/21/republican-lindsey-graham-attempts-steal-womens-rights-vote-senate.html
Nancy Pelosi Unleashes a Democratic Wrecking Crew to Rain On Boehner’s Benghazi Parade (but not Alan Grayson)
ReplyDeleteElijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
Adam Smith (D-WA), Ranking Member, Armed Services Committee
Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Committee on Appropriations (Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations), Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Committee on Ways and Means (Subcommittee on Oversight)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Armed Services Committee, Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
...Leader Pelosi had a very deliberate strategy. The Democrats on this committee are experts. They know what they are talking about, and they know how to handle the Republican Benghazi lie machine. Pelosi has assembled a conspiracy theory wrecking crew who will be prepared to knock down the tired Republican lies and half truths about Benghazi.
It was a smart move for Pelosi to appoint these individuals to the committee. The risk of boycotting the panel, and giving Republicans an unchallenged platform was too big of a chance to take.
If Republicans think they are going to sit in front of the cameras and hysterically scream Benghazi for months, they are in for a rude awakening. The Benghazi committee just got a whole lot more interesting, because Democrats
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/21/nancy-pelosi-unleashes-democratic-wrecking-crew-rain-boehners-benghazi-parade.html
And America is ON BOARD!
ReplyDeleteAmerican Support For Marriage Equality Reaches All-Time High In Latest Gallup Poll
Gallup released a new poll on Wednesday showing that support for same-sex marriage has now reached its highest level since the polling firm first started tracking this issue in 1996. Currently, 55% of Americans support same-sex marriage. Conversely, only 42% of adults oppose marriage equality, a new low for the poll. As one would expect, support is highest among young adults and Democrats, while older people and Republicans show the most opposition. However, support among conservatives and senior citizens has consistently risen over the years.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/21/american-support-marriage-equality-reaches-all-time-high-latest-gallup-poll.html
In today's Maddowblog:
ReplyDeleteGov. Corbett on Wednesday announced he would not appeal the federal court ruling that struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriages.
"In a statement, the governor repeated his personal opposition to same-sex marriage but said his administration lawyers had concluded that an appeal of Tuesday's historic decision was "extremely unlikely" to succeed."
Governor Corbett has thrown in the towel.
Judge Jones makes me proud to be from PA.
DeleteAnd Corbett is on his way to becoming PA's first governor (since they allowed governors to serve 2 terms) to not win a second term! Unfortunately, he's just about destroyed public education and has sold the state to the frackers for next to nothing but at least he hasn't been able to keep his post-election promise to make PA just like Texas...yet.
All in all, things are looking up here.
Someone should start a rumor that the last state to not allow gay marriage is where all Christians should flock to and wait for the second coming.
ReplyDeleteWhen they get there, can we pull the ground out from under them in a sink hole that is a few MILES deep?
DeleteThey're falling like dominoes this week. A big Thank You to the judges who resist pressure from people who oppose marriage equality for political or religious reasons.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the day that this doesn't make the news because there are no more states left that ban same-sex marriage.
I was in center city for work and saw a lot of commotion near city hall and in my nephew's neighborhood. Sounds like Aunt Anita has a wedding to go to in the near future, and I couldn't be more overjoyed.
ReplyDeleteMy candidate for Governor won and Tom Corbett is getting kicked to the curb. What a great week!
Imagine being in the couple who waited 22 years for equal rights shoes?