MD: Gay Marriage Bans Fails in MD Senate

[AnnInLa]

Attempt to revive gay marriage ban fails in Senate
No further options seen this year for proposed constitutional amendment

By Tom Stuckey
The Associated Press

Originally published March 28, 2006, 4:13 PM EST

An attempt to revive a constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage failed in the Maryland Senate today, apparently leaving no further options this year for opponents of gay marriage.

With a proposal to amend the state constitution languishing in committee and only two weeks left in the General Assembly session, Senate Minority Leader J. Lowell Stoltzfus, R-Somerset, resorted to a rarely used parliamentary move to try to bring the amendment out of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. He submitted a petition asking the Senate to bypass the committee and put the amendment on the agenda for debate.


But Sen. Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery, chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, immediately responded with another unusual move, making a motion to table the Stoltzfus petition indefinitely.

The Frosh motion was approved on a 26-21 vote, and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, D-Calvert, ruled that the amendment cannot be brought up again this session. Seven Democrats joined all 14 Republicans in an unsuccessful attempt to revive the amendment.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-gaymarriage0328,0,7542697.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[BR_Parkway]

1. Why do 7 Democrats think some Americans are less wortthy than

others?

If I "choose" to be gay - I should be treated equally, just like all those who choose to be Baptist, vegetarian, or straight white male.

If I was genetically born gay - I should be treated equally, just like all those born African American, female, or straight white male.

[The Wizard]

2. Machiavellian Josef Goebbels, Karl Rove

The Rove (Goebbels/Machiavelli) strategy to divide people is the
reason behind banning people from coming together. The questions are:
Why is it the government's policy to intrude into personal business?
Who decided to make this an issue? Who benefits by dividing Americans
over the trivial?
The enemy must be identified, vilified and crushed. We must
demonstrate to all Americans that liberty's foes appeal to our worst
fears and lowest instincts. We're stronger united than we are divided.
Under the leadership of anti-Americans living standards for the vast
majority have fallen. It's the wealthy cynical bigots who benefit from
our division. The common ground that benefits most Americans needs to
be shouted from the roof tops. Let's work on that common ground. With
the media in the pocket of our foes, a grass roots effort might be the
only recourse. It means getting out in the street and knocking on
doors in every state, county and precinct. It means getting out in the
street and letting the leadership know that a united majority will
overcome fascism. Fascism without the brown shirts and jack boots is
still fascism. The enemies of liberty and democracy must be painted
with that brush because they are the ones who hate us for our
freedoms. Our enemies are well disciplined at staying on message and
keeping it simple, be it truthful or not. If anyone's marriage is
threatened by what goes on in other people's private lives, then that
marriage has deeply rooted problems unrelated to the propaganda.
Here's a message. The Republican party leadership exploits people's
worst fears and lowest instincts rooted in cynical bigotry designed to
weaken the will of the majority for the benefit of their wealthy
backers. Hatred is not a family value, and fanning the flames of
hatred is anti-American. Secret government and state run media are
what caused the Soviet Union's demise. We are better than that. Can
anyone cite one good thing the current political leadership has done
to benefit most Americans? They can only extinguish the flame of the
Enlightenment if we let them. If the Age of Reason falls prey to
creeping darkness it will be because we didn't fight hard enough for
the ideals ingrained in us as Americans.
I will now put on my asbestos suit and wait for the flames.
PS: The Democratic leadership leaves much to be desired. In fact, the term Democratic leadership borders on oxymoron, excepting Howard Dean and a handful of others. When the Democratic Party finds the common ground we can all support and understand, the voters will follow. Keep it simple and hammer it like a flat head nail.
PPS: Dick Cheney is the Anti-Christ.