Crowd at Capitol pushes for amendment barring gay marriage

[t0dd]

From the Des Moines Register...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090409/NEWS/90409012/0/NEWS03

Democratic leaders squashed an attempt this morning to move forward this year on a proposal to amend the state Constitution and prohibit same-sex marriage.

But Republicans hinted that they will make another run at the issue later today.

“We’ll just let the day unfold,” said House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha. He later added. “The Legislature has a whole mass of rules and while you can use them sometimes to hide behind, sometimes they work to your advantage in other situations.”

House Speaker Pat Murphy, about 10 a.m., ruled out of order Paulsen's effort to force debate on House Joint Resolution 6. Murphy made the ruling after Paulsen requested the House suspend rules to allow the bill to bypass a committee and immediately be considered.

The resolution would advance an effort to amend the state Constitution to state that marriage is only between one man and one woman. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that a similar state law is unconstitutional, effectively legalizing gay marriage.

Hundreds of gay-marriage opponents in the crowd, upon learning of Murphy's decision, chanted “Let us vote” as they left the House chambers.

“We’re not going to let mob rule rule this state,” Murphy said as people exited the chambers, noting his frustration with the chanting.

Murphy is a longtime supporter of civil rights and believes same-sex couples should have the legal right to marry.

“If you take a look at history, the court’s job has always been to protect the minority. Whether it was women’s right to vote, whether it was an African American doesn’t have to be a slave. An African American has the right to marry a white person. That’s what this is about.”



Hundreds of protesters jam Capitol

Chuck Hurley, of the Iowa Family Policy Project, said his group would continue to work to ban gay marriage.

“I’m ashamed of my state’s leaders. I’m ashamed of the people not having the chance to vote,” Hurley said.

Hurley, a former state representative, noted that his group is not telling people how to vote.

“The essence of what we do is love and love,” Hurley said. According to history and sacred writings, love always perseveres. It doesn’t give up. If you really love God and your neighbors, you don’t give up. That’s the message.”

...

Oh, what you are doing is love? You fooled me.

[liberalmuse]

1. I hate these people.

Talk about tyranny. These people are evil.

[CoffeeCat]

2. Why don't these fools get it????

What the Iowa Supreme Court looked at was a legal issue.

The Equal Protection Clause states that all laws must be applied equally TO EVERYONE. Hear that...EVERYONE!!!

That's the law.

These people just do not get it!! I realize that their religion tells them that they should feel otherwise. Well,
this is not a theocrazy!! This is a democracy and we follow the letter of the law.

What's wrong with these people?????

Geez, we all have special interests, religious beliefs and opinions---Are these types so selfish and self absorbed that
they really think their personal opinions trump the law of the land???

This is so outrageous! Do these people not THINK?

I can't wait until Tom Cruise is President...When he wants us all to convert to Scientology MAYBE, just MAYBE these
Fundies will get it---that government should not be instituting religious dogma as law---just because some people
want it that way!

[slackmaster]

12. The root of the problem is that many of them think sexual orientation is the result of a choice

A conscious decision, which we know is not the case.

They've been misled.

[liberal N proud]

3. How many in that crowd do yo suspect are not from Iowa?

The homophobes probably bused people from every state they could to join in.

[ohheckyeah]

4. Murphy just wants HIS mob to rule the state.

I'm so sick of these people.

They love law unless it's a law they don't agree with.

[DoBotherMe]

6. Which mob is that?

Working people who want fair wages and taxes and rights? Count me as a member. Dana ; )

[ohheckyeah]

9. Sorry....

I meant Hurley.

I don't understand the resistance to gay marriage at all. I know the reasoning is that it will somehow hurt straight marriages but for the life of me I can't figure out how that works.

If Christians were truly worried about the sanctity of marriage so many of them wouldn't be divorced.

[DoBotherMe]

10. Takesies Backsies

It's been a zoo over at the statehouse...I feel for Murphy. D ; )

[ohheckyeah]

13. LOL

I like that - Takesies Backsies.

I hate it when I do something that stupid and unfortunately it happens way too often. :-)

[Lyric]

7. I hope you just made a mistake.

Murphy is the guy trying to stop the anti-equality mob from overrunning the process.

[ohheckyeah]

8. I did make a mistake...

I meant Hurley.

[polmaven]

5. I still have not heard a REAL answer

to the question of how gay marriage puts hetero marriage in jeopardy. Divorce, domestic violence (from EITHER partner), infidelity, etc. seem to have put marriages in jeopardy LONG before gay marriage became legal here in Massachusetts. Why haven't the morAns been pushing a lot harder to stop the real threats, rather than making something up?

[Zenlitened]

11. That's because there IS no answer, other than "It doesn't."

That is a fact: It doesn't.

Sadly, that fact doesn't faze the brazen liars and mentally incompetent goons of the so-called "protect marriage" crowd. These people are utter lowlifes.

Fortunately, in Massachusetts, more and more of them are escaping the cult. People who were shrieking about Teh Gays Are Gonna Ruin Marriage! half a decade ago... will grudgingly admit, now, that it has had zero effect on their lives. Zero.

:eyes:

[Rectangle]

14. Why doen't he love Gay people then??

“The essence of what we do is love and love,” Hurley said. According to history and sacred writings, love always perseveres. It doesn’t give up. If you really love God and your neighbors, you don’t give up. That’s the message.”

:silly: :crazy:

[doctor jazz]

15. He and his ilk don't think we're actual people.

:grr: :mad: