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 lobbyJune 26th, 2008
Yesterday’s vote by the Arizona Senate to advance an anti-marriage amendment to the voters fell short. But amendment supporters today vow to bring the measure back for another vote on Friday.
The thirty-member chamber voted 14-11 to place a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage onto the ballot. But since the Arizona constitution requires that a majority of the members elected must approve the measure, sixteen votes are needed for passage.
When supporters of the ban realized that they didn’t have enough votes — Sen. Karen Johnson (R-Mesa) had gone on vacation — Sen. Linda Gray (R-Phoenix) switched her vote in a procedural move to allow her to bring the measure back again for another vote. Another vote will likely be called on Friday when Johnson is expected to interrupt her vacation to support the measure.
Which means that come Friday, we may see an anti-marriage amendment placed on the ballot. Arizona residents are encouraged to contact their Senator and voice their opinions. Equality Arizona makes this easy. Just enter your zip code, and their web page will automatically provide you with contact information and talking points. It takes all of three minutes.
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homer
June 26th, 2008
Sen. Karen Johnson, who may have the deciding vote, has reportedly been married FIVE times:
http://zelph.blogspot.com/2005/02/interview-with-sen-karen-johnson.html
K.
June 26th, 2008
Thank you for providing such a great link for those of us in Arizona!
I thought this nonsense was over with. I thought wrong. Seems it will be just a little longer.
Shane
June 26th, 2008
I’m sending the link out to all my family and friends. Hopefully they will contact their senators here in Arizona. I hope this doesn’t pass in the senate tomorrow. Otherwise it’s time to start fighting for November. As if we didn’t have a new president to try and elect already … sheesh.
james malenfant
July 26th, 2008
The 15 state senators and legislatures that railroaded this hate amendment should be replaced. These people did not do their jobs. They these elected officials were supposed to create a balanced budget for the state of Arizona. Instead, they advanced their own personal perverted religious agendas. That is not why they were hired to begin with. And when we elected them, we, in effect, hired them. Now we need to fire them.
Linda Gray’s website says she is an expert on education. There is nothing in her educational background that says she is any kind of expert. As a matter of fact she has had contacts with Scientology, a religious cult, and she has had 2 marriages. Hardly an expert on family values and marriage. Basically she is a hate monger who veils her hate in religion and “family values.” Nonesense. A careful reader of her website will discover that she is not qualified to be an Arizona State Senator. Her relationship with Karen Johnson is also suspect.
Karen Johnson has also had contacts with Scientology, and veils her hate in religion and stupidity. She actually believes 9/11 was perpetrated by our government. What a moron. She has been married 5 times. WHat an andvertisement for marriage.
No one has the right to tell two people if they can get married or not. Yet these two women are the Anita Bryants of Arizona in 2008.
As long as we continue to elect these people, and as long as we continue to support them by patronizing their businesses, the hatred and bigotry and discrimination will continue. People like Karen and Linda feel powerful when they oppress an entire group of people. Just like Hitler did when he oppressed the Jews. Just like the United STates did when they denied blacks their civil rights. It is the exact same thing.
THese people feel superior when the deny a group of people their civil rights. THis amendment is not about family values or religion. It is about civil rights. Gay people have as much right to marry as straight people. THese people veil their hate in religion for emotional shock value. BElieve me it is a civil rights issue.
I encourage you to all question your state senators and congressmen about their feelings on these issues before you vote for them. It is the only way we will change the attitude of ARizona.
Don’t take my word for it, look it up. History is full of civil rights issues just like this one.
REmove these people and the problem is gone, thank you, james malenfant.
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