California Attorney General Jerry Brown urges court to overturn Proposition 8

[babsbunny]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/12/20/2008-12-20_california_attorney_general_jerry_brown_.html

BY NANCY DILLON
DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF

Saturday, December 20th 2008, 4:00 AM

LOS ANGELES - In a surprising reversal, California Attorney General Jerry Brown is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage approved by voters last month.

Brown, whose job it is to defend state laws and who earlier said he would support the amendment, argued yesterday that the framers of the state constitution never intended "to put a group's right to enjoy liberty to a popular vote."

The court is expected to hear the case in March.

"Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification," Brown said in a statement.

[theoldman]

1. This is a good reminder that any law must be within the

constraints of the constitution. In other words, we are not a pure Democracy where the majority can over rule the minority.

[pinto]

2. Good statement.

:thumbsup:

[Bucky]

3. Good ol' Jerry

I'd like just once for the fundies to explain how two dudes getting married weakens straight marriages.

If you take a utilitarian approach, it's actually in the state's interest to support same sex couples. Married people earn more, use free public healthcare services less, commit few crimes, pay more taxes, raise more accomplished kids, live healthier lives, live longer, make fewer insurance claims, have fewer car accidents, and contribute to building safer and more stable neighborhoods.

Why do conservative Christians hate safe neighborhoods?!

[Maven]

4. "the framers..never intended 'to put a group's right to enjoy liberty to a popular vote.'

Exactly. The idea that fundamental rights are subject to the whims of the mob is anathema to a free society.