If people can remove rights that were already granted...

[WillParkinson]

What makes people think that their rights are safe, no matter who they are?

Who wants any part of their lives put up for a popular vote? Who is willing to take that chance?

People campaign for removal of our rights, but never think that it could one day backfire against them.

I hope that they never have to learn the pain that we feel. The humiliation. The degradation. Oh, and I certainly hope they never have to explain to one of their gay children why mommy and daddy love you, just not enough to want you to be happy.

[Newsjock]

1. 2010 California Marriage Protection Act: Safeguarding Marriage From the Evils of Divorce

http://rescuemarriage.org

[xchrom]

2. ...

:shrug:

[izquierdista]

3. The last word on rights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F1Lq1uFcAE

[TheWraith]

4. " What makes people think that their rights are safe, no matter who they are?"

They aren't. Period. Anyone's rights are potentially subject to suppression provided that there's a legal framework to do so. That's why groups like the ACLU are so important.

[customerserviceguy]

6. Agreed

This lesson really came home to me when I saw the draconian asset seizure laws passed over twenty years ago in the war on drugs. I don't seem to remember President Clinton repealing them, and I know President Obama hasn't uttered a peep about them.

[TheWraith]

9. That's a damn good example.

In some states if you're accused of drug dealing, you're required to PROVE that you bought everything you own with clean money, or else the government can take it from you. That's blatantly unconstitutional, and contrary to not just decades but centuries of legal tradition regarding the presumption of innocence. But it's considered "okay" because the majority--or at least a plurality--can be made afraid enough to support it. Same goes with gay marriage, with the sex offender laws that actually make the problem worse, with drugs themselves, with guns, with immigrants, and on. The key aways is this: that people only see the "other"ness of the targeted group, and are made afraid of it, so that they don't think of what happens to them if the same principle is turned around. Scared people are stupid people.

[Sinti]

7. +1

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Gun owners in places like California have much the same complaint

Pink Pistols get a double whammy

[TheWraith]

8. The Pink Pistols piss people off by their very existence.

Though if the feds ever do get off their asses and enforce the "full faith and credit" clause, nobody will be happier than them to have their Massachusetts marriage recognized in Indiana, and their Indiana concealed carry permit recognized in Massachusetts. :D

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Yes they do...and it is glorious in so many ways

Many Pinks find themselves more accepted in the shooting community than the doctrinaire parts of the GLBTQ orthodoxy

[NMMNG]

11. People have this notion

that it's OK to eradicate our rights via popular vote, but that it would be unthinkable--even impossible--to do the same to others. If only we had the resources to prove them wrong. Perhaps instead of wasting our time and money to fight the next anti-gay measure (which we know will lose anyway) we should work to eradicate some of their rights. Let's see how they feel when they're on the chopping block and subject to the whims of "the people".

[Jamastiene]

12. I agree. Let's start with

proselytizing. If anything should be illegal, that should be illegal. There should be personal space for people who do not want those assholes in our faces. We should have the right to tell them to get out of our faces and actually have some kind of backup from the cops. Why should we have to deal with that kind of harassment?

[WillParkinson]

13. I'd rather remove protections from religion altogether...

After all, if anything is a choice it would be that.

[ShadowLiberal]

14. Isn't someone already doing this?

I've read somewhere that someone started a 'joke' campaign in California to ban divorce, with the actual text of the issue restating a lot of arguments against gay marriage, but applying them to divorce just to make a point. Though it's a joke issue, I've read that the guys behind it are serious are about trying to get it on the ballot in California.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Actually the California family laws needs a comlete rewrite anyway

Lots of gender bias and assumptions

[Better Today]

15. I've been saying all along y'all are going about it the wrong way. It seems to me

that instead of fighting for gay marriage, y'all should be fighting that all marriage related "rights" are not rights granted in the constitution and therefore ALL marriage should be banned and only legal contracts between people (regardless of sexual activity or lack thereof; ie mothers and grown children, or any two single persons who decide to co-habitate for financial and other reasons) should be recognized and then only as related to actual "rights" and not taxes at all. Particularly when it actually costs more for one person to live alone than for two people to co-habitate.

Anyway, don't start with un-related "rights" as mentioned above, start with the unfair, unequal, non-rights already called "marriage". Just my two cents, I'll go away now.

[Q3JR4]

17. I present, George Carlin on "rights":

Boy everyone in this country is running around yammering about their f***ing rights. "I have a right, you have no right, we have a right."

Folks I hate to spoil your fun, but... there's no such thing as rights. They're imaginary. We made 'em up. Like the boogie man. Like Three Little Pigs, Pinocio, Mother Goose, s**t like that. Rights are an idea. They're just imaginary. They're a cute idea. Cute. But that's all. Cute...and fictional. But if you think you do have rights, let me ask you this, "where do they come from?" People say, "They come from God. They're God given rights." Awww f**k, here we go again...here we go again.

<snip>

Now, if you think you do have rights, I have one last assignment for ya. Next time you're at the computer get on the Internet, go to Wikipedia. When you get to Wikipedia, in the search field for Wikipedia, i want to type in, "Japanese-Americans 1942" and you'll find out all about your precious f***ing rights. Alright. You know about it.

<snip>

Just when these American citizens needed their rights the most...their government took them away. and rights aren't rights if someone can take em away. They're privileges. That's all we've ever had in this country is a bill of TEMPORARY privileges; and if you read the news, even badly, you know the list get's shorter, and shorter, and shorter.

<snip>

More http://mindofv.blogspot.com/2008/04/excerpt-from-george-carlin-on-rights.html">here.

Q3JR4
On a completely related note I've been looking for an excuse to post this passage from Mr. Carlin...