Do you think an anti-gay constitutional amendment could pass? [View All]

[stevedeshazer]

I don't.

Any such amendment would require a 'yea' vote by a two-thirds majority of the members of the House of Representatives (290), and the Senate (67).

Additionally, such an amendment would require the approval of the legislatures of thirty-eight (38) of the several states.

Conversely, just 145 members of the House and/or thirty-three Senators could end the effort before it ever gets out of Congress.

Even if it gets out of Congress, which I doubt will happen, the legislatures of thirty-eight states would have to approve it.

That means only twelve state legislatures are needed to either reject it outright, or fail to act. I can think of twelve right away. How about you?

This is not to say that Bushco won't use this as election-year fodder. He already has. But it takes years, even decades, to amend the U.S. Constitution. That is as it should be. Bushco is taking a short-term view in an election year and is appealing to his conservative base.

For a relevant example, take a look at the proposed Equal Rights Amendment. It reads as follows:

"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."

Does this sound radical to you? This amendment was first introduced in 1923 and subsequently every year. It finally was passed by Congress in 1972, ironically in the heart of the Nixon administration. It still hasn't been ratified.

I love my gay friends, and they all should be allowed to marry if they wish. They should not be used as election year pawns.

Shame on those who engage in this kind of personal and political destruction. And power to anyone who has a loving relationship and is denied the rights of the many by the shallow whims of the few.