Same-Sex Marriage Ban Upheld in Maryland

[Dos Equis]

It is an option, but like I said, I haven't seen a good explanation yet (I take that back, I am related to a  psychologist who claimed that he'd cured two homosexuals through therapy).  An unnatural lifestyle means not in nature:  we know that's not true.  To preserve marriage as between a man and a woman--why...why should that be preserved? 

I don't know and, at this moment, I don't care.  I'm tired, it's 90 degrees outside (not bad for a Sept. afternoon in Milwaukee) and I'm starving.  That was unpleasant.

I guess I'll wrap this up by stating that I view life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as core values to the constitution...to our way of life.  If we are going to continue to deny these people their own pursuit, we'd better have a damn good reason why.  I just cannot accept from the majority--I just don't like them.

I don't think we are denying anyone their liberty.  A man can marry a woman and vice versa.  We don't let a person have more than one wife.  That's not a denial of liberty either.  We regulate lifestyle choices all the time.  For example, we recently banned smoking in bars over here (in other words, we regulated a lifestyle choice). 

It's currently 81 degrees.  Not bad for September in Honolulu.  Go get some food mang. 
 

[Decker]

I don't think we are denying anyone their liberty.  A man can marry a woman and vice versa.  We don't let a person have more than one wife.  That's not a denial of liberty either.  We regulate lifestyle choices all the time.  For example, we recently banned smoking in bars over here (in other words, we regulated a lifestyle choice). 

It's currently 81 degrees.  Not bad for September in Honolulu.  Go get some food mang. 
 

It's not the liberty part for me, it's the pursuit of happiness.  That's purely American.  I understand that marriage is regulated, but it's permitted.  Same with smoking.  To have a blanket prohibition like this just strikes me as un-american.

Isn't that something how smoking bans are spreading across the country?  That's gonna hurt the tavern business.

[Dos Equis]

It's not the liberty part for me, it's the pursuit of happiness.  That's purely American.  I understand that marriage is regulated, but it's permitted.  Same with smoking.  To have a blanket prohibition like this just strikes me as un-american.

Isn't that something how smoking bans are spreading across the country?  That's gonna hurt the tavern business.

We regulate the pursuit of happiness all the time too.  I understand that type of libertarian bent.  I agree with much of it.  It's really not a problem in my eyes until you start asking the government and taxpayers to endorse certain behavior. 

I'm all in favor of smoking bans.  I don't think it has affected our businesses here at all. 

[Tre]

To have a blanket prohibition like this just strikes me as un-american.

It is un-American.

[drkaje]

Notice....... the forefathers wrote "the pursuit of happiness", not its attainment.

[Dos Equis]

Notice....... the forefathers wrote "the pursuit of happiness", not its attainment.

Good point. 

I think there is a stronger argument that our old sodomy laws interfered with the pursuit of happiness, because they criminalized behavior that took place behind closed doors between consenting adults.  Quite a different story when you take that private behavior and ask the government to endorse it.