Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyAugust 23rd, 2013
When Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Clerk Lynn Ellins began issuing licenses to same-sex couples in Las Cruces on Wednesday, the state’s Attorney General Gary King responded by saying that he would not intervene to halt the Doña Ana County marriages. But a group of Republican lawmakers have now vowed to pursue a legal challenge. Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington) announced that he would file a lawsuit by the end of the week:
“It has to do with a county clerk cannot make law. That is the Legislature’s job,” said Sharer, who sponsored a constitutional amendment in 2011 to define marriage as between a man and woman.
He said more than two dozen GOP lawmakers have agreed to join the lawsuit. It likely will be filed with the state Supreme Court, but Sharer said lawyers were trying to decide the best legal strategy.
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Timothy Kincaid
August 23rd, 2013
How this is playing out is fascinating. While challenges usually come from the attorney general or the administrative branch, it looks as though Gov. Martinez has punted.
It will also be interesting to see how many of those announced GOP legislators actually do sign on to Sharer’s lawsuit. Every day there are fewer reasons to be the anti-gay crusader and more reasons to moderate your message.
Sir Andrew
August 23rd, 2013
More to the point, a judge has, this week, ordered the clerk in another county to begin issuing licenses to same-gender couples.
The GOP lawmakers need to actually read the law they’re trying to defend. They’ll find they’re wrong. Wonder why their lawyer hasn’t told them so. Must be a huge fee in the offing.
Hunter
August 23rd, 2013
Even more to the point, the AG had previously rendered an opinion that NM law does not preclude same-sex marriage, which Ellins referred to when he announced his intentions. But the GOP doesn’t need to know what it’s doing — it’s about . . . well, it’s about . . . pandering to the base, I guess.
Mark
August 23rd, 2013
Going after the rogue clerk in Dona Ana County probably would have succeeded–it will be much harder for the anti-gay legislators to go after the SF County Clerk, since she’s acting lawfully, under a court order.
Nathaniel
August 23rd, 2013
Mark, while going after the DAC clerk may have been more likely to succeed before the court ruling, I have my doubts about its chances either way. If the law is gender neutral, I don’t know why clerks weren’t doing it sooner.
Ned S
August 23rd, 2013
Let’s all join hands and dance in a circle and praise gays everywhere and ignore everyone everywhere that believes in morality. Lets all pray for gay apartheid and morality be d….
TomTallis
August 23rd, 2013
I wonder is those 24 legislators will be as ephemeral as Ernie Dronenburg’s 20 county clerks.
Ben in Oakland
August 24th, 2013
Ned….
What a great idea!
Hunter
August 24th, 2013
Ned:
Define “morality” — are you talking about the 3,000 year old tribal taboos of a bunch of Middle Eastern nomads? Or are you talking about a set of values that determines how you treat others?
corey
August 24th, 2013
I think the GOP should fight tooth and nail to prevent American citizens from their constitutional rights (as long as it’s not gun control). Keeping riff raff from ruining elections by voting, and loving couples from building a life together. After all I like a Democratic President.
PS To NED:
There is a church in Attlboro, that would love to welcome you!
Ned S
August 26th, 2013
Corey, oh sstop it. That church is nothing but a bunch of hate mongers…you know, come to think of it, so are you. If you can’t tell the difference between people that believe that the Bible calls what you do an abomination and kooks that hate gays, then I feel very sorry for you.
Désirée
August 26th, 2013
nope, sorry, I can’t tell the difference between. calling me an “abomination” because you think a 6000 year old text referred to some things (although not homosexuals) with that word, and hating me are in fact, basically the same thing. That you attempt to justify your hate with religion doesn’t make you any less a hateful kook.
Nathaniel
August 26th, 2013
Ned, they can’t tell the difference because there are many people who claim to follow Jesus who actually love their neighbor as themselves, and don’t go out of their way to tell people they are abominable. There are many Christians who don’t find the Bible to say what you claim it says, many Gay Christians (like myself) who spent years praying and studying to come to the understanding that God neither rejects them nor denies them the freedom to love another. These examples stand in contrast to the Bible believers you claim to be part of. More so, those you dismiss as “kooks that hate gays” also claim their authority from the Bible. So, no, we can’t see a significant difference between yourself and your ‘kooks’.
Ned S
August 30th, 2013
The Bible is very clear on this point. It very clearly states that men lying with men and women lying with women is an abomination. So if that doesn’t mean homosexuality, then what does it mean? I don’t care if you find “justification” or not. Personally, I don’t care what you do in your own home. You can point out your “justifications” when you meet your maker face to face, just like everyone else including myself and the kooks at westboro baptist “church”. There won’t be any groups. There won’t be any attorneys. There won’t be any spin. It will just be Him and you.
Ben in Oakland
August 30th, 2013
“It very clearly states that men lying with men and women lying with women is an abomination. ”
Two things. are, not is.q
Actually, dear, there is not a thing in the bible that states that women lying with women is an abomination. Nowhere, Nada. Zilch. romans says something, but it doesn’t say that.
See how easy it is to pervert god’s word? don’t you think you ought to repent right now from your sin of lying for god?
Timothy Kincaid
August 30th, 2013
Personally, I don’t care what you do in your own home.
Really, then what’s your issue?
Do you care what I do at my place of employment? Is that why you’re here lecturing me about your religious views?
Perhaps you care what I do at my own place of worship. Maybe you disagree with my pastor about what is “very clear” in the Bible (though you seem to know almost nothing about the book). Maybe that’s why you’re being all preachy.
Or maybe you’re just a meddlesome know-it-all who wants to micro-manage other people’s lives and are looking to use religion as some vague justification for doing so.
Timothy Kincaid
August 30th, 2013
And, by the way, “abomination” doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Priya Lynn
August 30th, 2013
Ned, I don’t care what your bible says, rationality rules my life and if it ain’t hurting anyone else its moral.
When you and I die, that’ll be the end of us, kaput, game over. There’ll be no you and him or me and him, there’ll be none of us at all.
Stop worrying about crossing the ambiguous and contradictory boundaries of an imaginary god and live your life – its the only one you’ve got.
Paul Douglas
August 30th, 2013
Nedster:
Why not give me some verifiable evidence that your Gawd exists? If your Bible-god is the omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent being you claim he is, you would think he would figure out a way to clearly communicate this to a planet with almost 7 billion people he so earnestly loves and cares for. Some way other than a contradictory, cryptic hodge-podge of iron age writings authored by semitic goatherders that you claim as your moral authority to restrict others from the privileges that you enjoy in our secular republic.
Your bible is untrustworthy, Nedster. That’s why you go to the doctor. That’s why you buy insurance. That’s why you use a telephone to call the roto-rooter guy when your sewer is clogged instead of praying and asking your god to send someone to help. That’s why you wear a seatbelt. Thats why you have a gun. That’s why you don’t pick up poisonous snakes or eat amanita mushrooms. That’s why you don’t move mountains or walk on water. Because your god, who promises all kinds of things in the book you are so enamored of and want us to all be subject to, DOES NOT DELIVER THE GOODS. Nope, never. Might as well pray to a milk jug as to pray to or believe in your god. He DOESN’T DELIVER THE GOODS, Ned.
So please, spare me buybull quotes from your 4000 year old Semitic war-god (Why not a Norse one? Far more interesting) until you can show that your God can DELIVER THE GOODS.
I’ll be waiting.
Timothy Kincaid
August 30th, 2013
Paul,
I have no problem with the message you are trying to convey, but in the future don’t use “Gawd”.
thanks
Richard Rush
August 30th, 2013
Hey Ned,
Last evening the magnificent Budweiser Clydesdales paraded in our neighborhood, stopping at the major restaurants/bars for photo-ops. Those horses are among the most beautiful animals on earth ~ they use eight to pull the wagon, but they travel with ten in case they need an alternate. And we all agreed that the Dalmatian riding in the seat beside the two drivers was seriously winsome. Everyone, including my husband and I, had a fun time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Clydesdales
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