Froth Slosh B'Gosh

Learned Behavior

No child is born racist, racism is learned, and perhaps at a younger age than once thought.  I haven't seen too much published at this time about the shooting suspects upbringing, but living in the deep south, and in the state that exepmplifies sedition, where the symbols of racism are unavoidable, is it any surprise that Dylann Roof holds odious views?

This was an act of terrorism.  It was a hate crime.  It was not an attack on religion, despite the protestations of those on the right.  How many churches did the killer drive past on his way Emanuel A.M.E., a church steeped in history and symbolism?  If it was an attack on religion, why didn't the killer launch his attack on a Sunday, when the churches are full? 

And the most odious?  Blaming the victim, as an NRA board member did.

So where to start?  How do we begin to address the posion of racism?  Ta-Nehisi Coates made a modest suggestion.

Learned Behavior

No child is born racist, racism is learned, and perhaps at a younger age than once thought.  I haven't seen too much published at this time about the shooting suspects upbringing, but living in the deep south, and in the state that exepmplifies sedition, where the symbols of racism are unavoidable, is it any surprise that Dylann Roof holds odious views?

This was an act of terrorism.  It was a hate crime.  It was not an attack on religion, despite the protestations of those on the right.  How many churches did the killer drive past on his way Emanuel A.M.E., a church steeped in history and symbolism?  If it was an attack on religion, why didn't the killer launch his attack on a Sunday, when the churches are full? 

And the most odious?  Blaming the victim, as an NRA board member did.

So where to start?  How do we begin to address the posion of racism?  Ta-Nehisi Coates made a modest suggestion.

And Another One Falls....

Wisconsin!

A United States District Court judge has ruled that Wisconsin's gay marriage ban  is unconstitutional.

Judge Barbara Crabb issued a motion of summary judgment for the paintiffs,  stating that Article XIII of the Wisconsin Constitution "violates planitiffs'  fundamental right to marry and their right to equal protection of laws under the  Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

What will the haters hate on once the entire nation allows all people in love to marry?

HOORAY FOR PENNSYLVANIA!!!

PROGRESS!!!

First Oregon, now The Keystone State!

The law barring same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania is unconstitutional, a  federal judge based in Harrisburg ruled today.

“By virtue of this ruling, same-sex couples who seek to marry in Pennsylvania  may do so, and already married same-sex couples will be recognized as such in  the Commonwealth,” wrote U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III.

The ruling comes in a case filed in July by 11 gay couples, two teenage  children of one of the pairs and a widow. The couples include Deb and Susan  Whitewood of South Fayette, Diana Polson and Dawn Plummer of Point Breeze, and  Lynn and Fredia Hurdle, of Crafton Heights.

The only sad thing is that this had to be done by a court order, because the legislature made it illegal in the first place.

More here:  Allegheny County isn't wasting any time!

“We are pleased that the Court is affirming the rights of all people to form a  marriage union to express their commitments, form a family in the eyes of the  law, and have their rights recognized," Allegheny County Executive Rich  Fitzgerald said in a statement. "This is what we have been advocating for quite  some time and it is a day to celebrate.”

Once a couple has been issued their wedding license, at least one public  official said he'd love to marry them.

"I am overjoyed by the judge's decision today, and can't wait to throw open  the doors of the Mayor’s Office to honor marriages of all couples," Mayor Bill  Peduto said in a statement. "I would be thrilled to make the marriage of an LGBT  couple the first one I officiate as Mayor.”

Good for Fitz and Bill!

Progress Marches On

Michigan.

 

PA Gay Marriage Ban Heads To Federal Court

Very interesting, especially with some of Judge Jones' comments:

A lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s ban on gay marriage cleared an early  hurdle today as a federal judge ruled against three motions to dismiss that were  filed by state and county-level officials...

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, of the Middle District of  Pennsylvania, noted that there was a time when federal courts did not weigh in  on gay rights claims, but that time has passed.

“The Supreme Court has decided several cases since [1972] which demonstrate  that it no longer views constitutional challenges based on sex or sexual  identity classifications as unsubstantial,” he wrote. “Finally, in June of this  year, the Supreme Court held that a federal statute defining marriage as only  between heterosexual couples violated the equal protection and due process  rights of same-sex couples who had married in states where same-sex marriage is  legally recognized.”

Of course, trying to divine how a judge is going to rule based on statements issued before the case is even heard is a fool's game, but it sure sounds like the judge will carefully weigh the arguments.

 

 

Stay Classy Tom

Governor Bought-And-Paid-For compares gay marriage to incest.

Judge Suspends PA's Voter Supression Law....Again

I wont be surprised by a permanent injunction at this point.

Pennsylvania voters will not be required to produce identification to cast ballots in November.

A Commonwealth Court judge has barred enforcement of the state's 2012 voter ID law until he makes a final determination in the case challenging the legislation.

In his ruling Friday, Judge Bernard McGinley said while poll workers asking for ID was not itself disenfranchisement, a hardship was created for voters by the state's misleading or nonexistent information on the new law's requirements.

Of course, misleading an innnacurate information is a feature, not a bug, when the intent is to try and keep as many people as possible from voting.

PA GOP Boss Admits Voter ID Suppressed Democratic Turnout

Kane Wont Defend DOMA

Well, isn't this interesting!

Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who is the state's chief legal officer, declined  Thursday to defend against a lawsuit challenging the state's prohibition on same  sex marriage, calling it unconstitutional and leaving the job of bolstering the  ban to Gov. Tom Corbett.

Which brings up this question:  Is she required, as attorney general, to defend the law?  Daryl Nutcase, The Shame of Butler County, thinks so.

"This is clearly dereliction of duty. It's her responsibility to defend the laws  of the commonwealth regardless of her personal feelings," said state Rep. Daryl  Metcalfe, R-Cranberry. "If she doesn't want to do that, maybe she can resign and  have the governor appoint someone who wants to do the job."

I'm sure if I wanted to, I could find many examples of Nutcase ignoring the laws of the Commonwealth due to his personal feelings.  Oh wait, here's one from a couple of weeks ago! Pot, meet kettle.

Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Sims, an openly gay legislator, was blocked from speaking on the floor of the state House on Wednesday by a colleague who believed Sims’ plans to speak about the U.S. Supreme Court’s marriage decision would be in "open rebellion against God’s law.”According to WHYY, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe raised a procedural objection to stop Sims from speaking during a part of the House session in which legislators often give wide-ranging remarks. "I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, what God has said, and just open rebellion against God's law," said Metcalfe, R-Butler.

"God's law", and secular law, are of course, different things.