Iowa justices get Republican support

Timothy Kincaid

November 1st, 2010

Failed gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats is leading a campaign to unseat three of Iowa’s supreme court justices to punish them for finding that gay people have a claim on that state’s constitutional protections. If they justices are not retained, it will be considered a mandate on the issue of marriage equality.

However, by positioning the vote in this manner, they have created some unlikely “pro-gay advocates”: those who value an independent judiciary. Take, for example, Robert Ray, the Republican governor from 1969 to 1983:

Polls show the vote to be close.

JFE

November 1st, 2010

I fear this is too little, too rational, and too late.

occono

November 1st, 2010

“The judges are supposed to follow the will of the people.”

GAHHHHH NO. They’re the part of Government that are the LEAST responsible to the will of the people*

Regan DuCasse

November 2nd, 2010

How can people running for office be THIS stupid?!
And how can the public that believes them be also as well?!

This really IS how the Nazi party rose up the way it did.
Anyone well versed in the history of Jim Crow and Nazism would know that.

Just because the target is gay people, doesn’t mean the impetus won’t bleed into other factors of individual freedom and protection.
Even the history of IA as a progressive state that was the first to extend rights is being lost on their own citizens.
You’d think they’d be proud of that, instead of buying into such tripe.

To be honest my friends, as hard as it’s been to be black, to be a woman…and I understand, to be gay: there is something that we’ve gained in character that is much more precious than the people who turned on these justices can’t appreciate.

Some of them really never did have to fight for their freedom, or attend to protecting those of others.
This is an exceptionally selfish pursuit that NOM is on.
They have had the luxury of being stupid, unaware and unconcerned with what’s really at stake.

They were never in danger of losing ANYTHING at all with the expansion of rights to gay people.
No one EVER has lost anything to equality and justice being extended to all human beings who had otherwise been without them.

As I tend to say, fear is a kinder word for this kind of expression.
‘Fear of the unknown’ assumes that there is no result to know, no way of finding any information with which to make a decision.

This war on gay people and their supporters or the branch of government that stands between careful consideration and hysteria, isn’t about fear.
But cowardice.

Because all the opportunity, all the information and understanding has been there all along.
The results of what would happen if gay people got married or had the same opportunities IS known and well documented.
And now the cowardice is influencing important branches of government protection.
There is no unknown here. Just the most pernicious cowardice and ignorance we haven’t seen since ‘the race matter’ was in public discourse.

I truly hate this level of cowardice. It’s unforgivable.

mikeksf

November 2nd, 2010

Beautifully and passionately said, Regan. Thanks

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.