From Right to Vote to Voting for Rights....

We've constantly heard in the 2000 election ( and during other election cycles) that you have to 'rock the vote' or otherwise 'exercise your rights'. I remember in history hearing about women trying to get the right to vote( both here in the US and in England. Also that blacks originally had like a 5/8th vote, and how hard it was for them to vote in the south( and still have problems to vote visa ve Florida 2000). There's even a constitutional amendment, 15th, to make sure people had the right to vote. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude" Servitude- of course referring to slaves. And I've talked to a friend who believed that ERA( the Equal Rights Amendment- for woman to have the same rights as men) didn't pass as it's generally assumed now that 'man' in old documents like the constitution, refers to MANkind or is generic as man books use the male pronoun when they should use she/he/it.

However we're coming to a new time in American history- when it's been suggested by Governor Mitt Romney, and seconded by the Republican party, that WE as a people should have a say as to whether gays should be allowed to get married. The party line seems to be that they don't want 'activist' judges( like the 5 who crowned W. President) to decide that gays have equal rights. They want to put it to a VOTE here in MA... and on the National Stage they want congress to vote to amend the constitution to DENY these people their rights to 'persue happiness'.
Now first of all, the republican party KNOWS they don't have the votes( 2/3rds of the Senate) to get their amendment passed- they are doing it JUST to give Kerry and the rest of the democrats a black eye; but to change the constitution to DENY rights is just wrong.
We here in the U.S. already have an amendment that gives the constitution a black eye- it's called 18th amendment- where we said that it was BAD to drink. That went over so well we ended up having to repeal it in the 21st- so both the 18th and 21st amendments are there for EVERYONE to see how we botched it. Now imagine if that happens again... because it will. I can NOT see how gays can be denied the right to marry for the rest of the existence of these united States.

However what really bugs me is the idea that the Christian MAJORITY get to vote what rights the rest of us... a 29th amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman PERFORMED by a priest? Thus nullifying any Jewish, Muslim, or 'civil' marriage? Or how bout if we vote to see if we want to bring back slavery? I mean why not, what better way of having Iraq pay us back for liberating them then making them slaves of Haliburton? ( I of course am being ironic- I don't want anyone to send me flaming mail... )

Activist politicians who I didn't vote for( I didn't vote for either Mitt or W.) scare me more then activist judges. Judges have to work WITHIN the law, and follow it. Politicians are much more likely to make new laws that please them or help THEIR own party/patrons- Remember W. also helped loosen energy laws so Enron was able to pull their shell game that cost Ca. billions of dollars and netted Enron execs and the republican party a pretty penny.