Mass. you suck.

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how does one go about legislating against a gay marriage so that the courts can call the law unconstitutional?

― step hen faps (Curt1s Stephens), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 05:52 (seventeen years ago) link

You should move to Massachusetts. All we do is get married and argue about it. We enjoy yelling about pointless things. From our back yards.
We love unlovable people!

― aimurchie (aimurchie), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 06:16 (seventeen years ago) link

On Tuesday, 61 lawmakers backed moving the measure forward, compared to 132 opposed. The amendment need 50 votes of support to advance.

Is this sentence entirely fucked? What crazy system requires a (more or less) 25% vote to move an amendment forward?

― Casuistry (casuistry), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 06:17 (seventeen years ago) link

they decided to put the question on the ballot. this way a sizable minority can always take constitutional action if they feel the majority faction is being unreasonable and that the constituency feels so, too.

― friday on the porch (lfam), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 06:46 (seventeen years ago) link

well, in this case the minority is supposed to be the constituents but politicians can organize the petition campaigns.

― friday on the porch (lfam), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 06:48 (seventeen years ago) link

"how does one go about legislating against a gay marriage so that the courts can call the law unconstitutional?"

Um..gosh. it's a state by state decision. So..if this amendment gets any farther than the posing, rhetoric based place it is in, I guess it could be challenged in the state supreme court.

I think I get your point - it's a huge leap from legislation to practical applications of the law.
it's a civil rights issue, I suppose.

― aimurchie (aimurchie), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 06:58 (seventeen years ago) link

By STEVE LeBLANC
Associated Press Writer

BOSTON (AP) -- Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where gay marriage is legal, voted Tuesday to allow a proposed constitutional amendment to move forward that would effectively ban it.

PARSE THE SENTENCE!

Follow the verbs.

― aimurchie (aimurchie), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 07:07 (seventeen years ago) link

Follow the nouns.

― aimurchie (aimurchie), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 07:38 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm re-reading the article again, and I still get stuck on that sentence. The only reason I understood it the first time is because I live here! So the subtext was right there for me!
It's a journalistic nightmare. I have tried to take my own advice, and follow the verbs. But it still doesn't make any sense.
Congratulations to all who are not Massholes, who have valiantly struggled to make sense of this article. I applaud you.
It's a beautiful day. I'm going to go crash a lesbian wedding.

― aimurchie (aimurchie), Wednesday, 3 January 2007 16:46 (seventeen years ago) link

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