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Updated: 10:12 PM EST

Texas Voters OK Gay Marriage Ban
By DAVID CRARY, AP

(Nov. 8) - Texas voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, making their state the 19th to take that step. In Maine, however, a proposal to repeal a new gay-rights law was trailing by a wide margin.

In California, voters had a chance to embolden or embarrass Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as they considered four measures he promoted as part of a power struggle with legislators and public-employee unions.

The contest in Texas was decided quickly - the ban was receiving about 76 percent support with about a third of precincts reporting. Like every other state except Massachusetts, Texas didn't permit same-sex marriages previously, but the constitutional amendment was touted as an extra guard against future court rulings.

"Texans know that marriage is between a man and a woman, and children deserve both a mom and a dad. They don't need a PhD or a degree in anything else to teach them that," said Kelly Shackelford, a leader Texans For Marriage, which favored the gay marriage ban.

Gay-rights leaders were dismayed by the lopsided returns, but vowed to continue a state-by-state battle for recognition of same-sex unions.

"The fight for fairness isn't over, and we won't give up," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "These amendments are part of a long-standing effort by the extreme right to eliminate any legal recognition for gay people and our families."

In a local Texas election, voters in White Settlement, named 160 years ago after white settlers moved into a mostly Indian area, emphatically rejected a proposal to change the town's name to West Settlement. Some civic leaders felt the traditional name should be changed to lure business investment; more than 90 percent of voters disagreed.

In Maine, early returns indicated voters were spurning a measure placed on the ballot by a church-backed conservative coalition that would repeal a gay-rights law approved by lawmakers earlier this year. The lawmakers expanded the state's human rights act to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, a step already taken by the five other New England states.

With about 24 percent of the precincts reporting, 57 percent of voters were voting to keep the new law, which is broadly worded to protect transsexuals and transvestites as well as gays and lesbians.

The special election in California, called by Schwarzenegger, evolved into an unofficial referendum on his performance. Recent polls showed his popularity plummeting, and suggested all four measures he pushed were headed for defeat.

The ballot items would cap state spending and give the governor greater authority to make budget cuts; make teachers work five years instead of two to pass probation; strip lawmakers of their power to carry out redistricting; and require public employee unions to get members' permission before their dues could be used for political purposes.

California voters also decided whether to require doctors to give a parent or guardian written notice before performing an abortion on a minor. More than 30 states have laws requiring parental notice or consent; recent polls indicated the California proposal would be defeated, but the contest was considered close.

In Republican-governed Ohio, where the 2004 presidential election was marked by complaints of unfair election practices, four election-overhaul measures backed by Democratic-leaning groups were on the ballot, but all were defeated. One of the failed items would have taken redistricting powers away from legislators.

New Jersey voters were favoring a proposal to have an elected lieutenant governor who would take over if a sitting governor leaves office early. The measure was a response to the gay sex scandal that drove former Gov. James McGreevey from office and installed Senate President Richard Codey as acting governor even as he retained his Senate duties. New Jersey is one of eight states with no lieutenant governor.

In Washington state, doctors and lawyers promoted rival measures dealing with medical malpractice. Other measures in Washington would expand the state's ban on smoking in public areas and indoor workplaces, and overturn the Legislature's gas-tax increase of 9.5 cents a gallon.


11-08-05 22:03 EST

Wow, it doesn't surprise me, but 76% suggests that democracy doesn't work in the U.S.

Democracy voted to outlaw gay marriage. The fact that you don't like the results does not mean that it was not democratic. I don't particularly care for the results, and I don't particularly love the state of Texas, but the voters voted fairly. Democracy works just fine.

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beep beep I'm a Jeep

Why hate all of Texas? What about the other 24%? I hate Bush, but does that mean I should hate America because he was elected democratically?

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Rosalie, you're giving Liberals a bad name. You have to learn to accept your loses and not try to make everyone into pro-choice hippies (like me). Unless there is an opposition a democracy usually cannot function correctly, there has to be contrast.

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liberals allready have a bad name. and i personally was OK for gay marriage, but everyone else are homophobes because they know that one night with 2 gay guys, the next morning "I have an announcement to make!"

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Um, was that supposed to make sense?

am i the only guy here who watches Carlos Mencia???

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Ya, how did liberals already have a bad name? From the ones who are sooooooo far on the left that they scream and shout about how everyone should be like them (not like our conservatives, no, of course not) and end up on tv? Most Liberals aren't that crazy except for the ones most people hear because they're ranting and raving over every little person that disagrees with them (KIND OF like I am right now).

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the only problem with liberals is that they only complain, and complain, and complain until Conservratives actually get fed up and do it. you guys oughta listen to Michael Savage.

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I don't know why "liberal" is such a bad word in politics these days. People must be confusing real liberals (who care about helping people and improving society) with some wierdos who sit in trees. Although I do prefer the tree-sitters to the gay marriage-banners.

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Well like I said, the only non-agreeable ones are the ones WAAAAAAAAAAY on the left that are UBER strict liberals, they usually wont give up their beliefs no matter what evidence is put forward to prove them wrong. While on the normal side of the left wingers, we're usually educated enough to know when we're wrong and when to shut up.

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actually we dont get hippies mixed up with liberals, even though some of the later liberals were hippies.
real liberals do what i just explained, they complain until conservratives cant take it anymore so they just do it. and plus the only reasons we always have to follow what liberals say is because they have great lawyers and will sue you if you dissagree.

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Have you ever heard of the line "Squeaky wheel gets the oil." As for conservatives, they aren't doing so hot right now. DeLay has been charged with money laundering, Scooter Libby has been indicted on perjury, Karl Rove may follow suit, Bill Frist is being investigated for insider trading and Pres. Bush's approval rating is lower than the temperature in the Arctic Circle. As for Micheal Savage, he sucks.

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Ya, COLA you shouldn't let famous people influence your political views, it makes you seem, well, stupid.

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Look, exclusion, bigotry and prejudice are exclusion, bigotry and prejudice no matter what the majority of some backwards state votes. The fact that they purposely having people vote even when gay people couldn't already marry shows what completely jerks they are. The had to rub it in.

And fine, I hate 76% of Texas then.

I don't see how I'm giving liberals a bad damn by getting ticked at something I have every damn right to. I have actually lost faith in democracy. I'm really starting to believe it would be better to have an educated team of scholars make decisisions. We still get a say, but when it comes down to things that are blatantly nonsensical or descriminatory, or based on ignorance, they'd over rule that.

Of course, America doesn't like that idea since stupidity and arrogance deserves the same, if not much more of a say than intelligence and reason.

The reason liberals have a "Bad name" is that most hardcore republicans are simply incapable of debate or presenting solid foundations for their "beliefs", so simply resort to slander and fear tactics instead.
Argue you with me all you will, but every single debate I've gotten into online has said otherwise.
Not to say *all* republicans are like that, but certainly almost all the "Liberals are the mark of the devil" ones. I mean, that belief is stupidity personified in itself.

dude, i just belive in a few of the things he says, ive read his book (Its quite good actually), but then again, this topic isnt about Liberals Vs. Conservratives or whatever, its about the gay marriage bills that are going through lthe egislature.
so

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Rosalie, you're being Uber hypocritical right now. How can you say that you shouldn't judge people on their own choices while you go off telling all conservatives to go off and die in a hole somewhere?



You dont get it, a demoracy is a give and take thing. It can't always go your way. I'll admit things in America can be pretty one sided, but, things always change. You have to learn to accept your loses and strive to prevent it from happening else where.





I agree with you that conservatives do use scare tactics to their advantage, but, that doesn't justify hardcore, in your face liberals to go off and call everyone who doesn't listen to them rascist, moron, hicks.





But so is the belief that people who think that no matter what they're always right! The liberals lost in the reddest of all red states! BIG DEAL! It happens. Learn from your loses and try to prevent it from happening else where, brooding about losing isn't going to change it so try and make the texans feel stupid by somehow getting every other state to support gay marriage.

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If they'd actually be educated scholars, as opposed to the "intellectual" liberals, they'd be smart enough to realize the original purpose of marriage was for a man and a woman to reproduce, and the smartest thing would be to create a new system with the same legal benifits as marriage, yet not being the oxymoron that is the term "gay marriage" (unless that's supposed to mean "happy marriage).


Do you know what is really giving liberals bad names? Not just the crazy, vigilantes who complain and complain in their ball of ignorance, it's that being a liberal today means you reject all other opinions and discriminate against anyone with the slightest tinge of conservatism. For this, I hate my school. You'll get slammed down, and yelled at in drums class if you're opinion on Gay Marriage seems conservative. A girl gets called a spoiled *****, just because her parents are republican. At my school, it's democrat or die.

Despite my parents being democrates, I don't associate myself with any party. One side has beliefs I don't like, and one has methods I don't like. I hate politics.

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Compare conservatism and liberalism. Now, which one has the larger amount of bigots, exactly? How many liberals do you see in the street.

So what if they discriminate against bigots, boo hoo. If you didn't want to be discriminated against, you shouldn't have discriminated in the first place.

If you're a social conservative, you are supporting and endorsing a kind of behaviour which only serves to hold the rest of the world back.

Have you noticed how conservatism isn't so popular outside of the US anymore? Even in Britian, which is now quite progressive.



And this is why I hate conservatism. This is without a doubt the worst thing said on this topic.

Again, let me run through what I've run through 10000000 times, people that can't have kids can still marry, gay couples adopted is not harmful and has been researched and there is no evidence to suggest while having a mother and father is often the best environment, that it is in any way harmful, and well... you're just pulling that out of your butt, to be quite honest. Marriage was always about love, not reproduction.

Gay marriage an oxymoron. For Funk's sake.



I find your opinions on liberalism amusing, since outside of America, most of the world is far, far more liberal. Your opinions really don't work when it's only really in America you have that kind of conservatism.
America is without a doubt the most xenophobic "superpower" in the world. I don't think you realise that we here in Europe are exposed constantly to your culture as well as your own, whereas most americas don't have a clue about what goes on over here.

I am against social conservatism in particular, which most "political" conservatives seem to be. There is no excuse for making people second rate citizens in the manner that they do.

People hate conservatism because most other countries outside the US are embracing liberalism. Conservatism in the traditional sense may be a valid political movement, but 90% of the time when I see someone who says they're conservative, they're generally against most of the values I hold dear, but more than that, often wish for my right to have them to be removed, or not granted where they are missing.

I don't care if you think I'm being harsh. It's absolutely ludicrous. People like me(pretending for a moment I live in the US) are the ones who have to live as second class citizens, while you live fine prosporous lives as "normal" people. Not to say that conservatives never have problems ,but realitvely, you have more rights and social security.

So you've no blasted right to whine if the poor liberals are picking on you. If we all had the same relative rights, if everyone was protected by their government, there wouldn't be this issue. And it's most certainly not the Liberals denying that.

I have a solution for all. Move to Canada. We've got it right, up here.

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-Krista

Oh you mean like this

I remember after last years Presidential Election, that is all the Democrats talked about was moving to Canada.

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Some of my transgender friends have been almost literally forced to move to Canada.

And I wouldn't call the U.S. "Jesus-land" since the likes of Pat Robertson goes against everything Jesus ever teached.

I would have left, but John Stewart put me at ease by saying that he had four more years of good material now.

TOASTPAINT

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.....god, nevermind -_-

This is just making me more depressed than I already am -_____-;; I think I already said I don't associate with anything because there always seems to be too much negative to be positive at all --;;

Once again, my opinion on gay marriage is taken with ignorance and the way it goes for both sides is ignored. I hate politics -____-

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Because you called gay marriage an oxymoron, which was extremely disrespectful. Don't emo on me because of that.

That said, having an opinion on gay marriage isn't the same as voting on it. If you vote against marriage, you're not just asserting your belief, you're forcing it on other people. Most people don't seem to know what forcing your beliefs is.

Rosalie, I find it very odd that you would generalize and say that you hate anyone who disagrees about an issue with you. How are you any better than someone who stands up and says "I hate all gays"? You may not like it, but there are many people who disagree with you on this issue. In fact, in the US, it is my understanding that in every state that has had a bill proposed to the people legalizing same sex unions, it has been defeated.

You say it is unfair that the majority can determine what is right and what is wrong, but would you have a minority do the same? I have yet to hear a solid argument come from you supporting your views, but I personally know many good arguments for same-sex unions. I think that you will find that if you spend a little effort in trying to understand and appreciate the other side of this issue, you will find yourself more able to agrue for your side.

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Exactly seamusz, unless you know what you're talking about and are able to look at things from different angles, dont argue about things like this.



OK, since you dont seem to be actually contemplating my arguments I'll say it again, DONT BE SUCH A HYPOCRITE. You can't just set rules for one person and not apply them to another, that's exactly why you said you hate Texans. If you're going to contradict yourself (like George Bush) then dont make topics where you're trying to prove a point about an issue.



On a side note, swearing doesn't make your arguments seem intelligent or civil.



Yes, finally someone I can agree with. You've hit it right on the nose.




Yes Rosalie, it's called AN OPPOSITION. You need the two parties to work together in a way that will best strengthen their countries values as a majority. Otherwise, it's (CAN POSSIBLY) called A DICTATORSHIP.



One more thing before I post this, why not listen to my good arguments instead of just ignoring them and thinking I'm against you. I'm with you on this, I think Gays should be allowed to marry. But, being rude and obnoxious to people who disagree with you isn't the way to go about it, make intelligent arguements, and try to listen to what others say instead of blocking it all out no matter how much sense it makes.

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Disrespectful? To whom? Just all of the liberals with a different opinion, that's who.

Do you even know what an oxymoron is? Something with a contradicting adjective, to sum it up.

And back in the day when marriage was created, it wasn't about love, it was about a man and a women having babies, because pre-marital sex was unheard of a long time ago. This isn't me stating my opinions, these are facts; they should be respectedand considered. I don't care what marriage is now, marriage was originally, and still should be considered, a religous practice and I'm sure you've heard of serperation of church and state. When I told a friend of mine that marriage is a tradition, she told me tradition sucks. That's the liberal way.

I'm not homophobic. And that 76% percent of Texas shouldn't be called such either. Going on the assumption that most of them are doing it because of their religon, I think they deserve a right to stand up for it, because marriage is a religous practice, and does not deserve to be changed.

Is there something wrong with creating a new procedure with the exact same legal benifits as marriage, but between two people of the opposite sex? Because that's what has been the main concern about gay couples.

You're either homophobic or too stuck up if you can't even take this into consideration, the way I see it. If I wanted to marry a girl, I wouldn't want to do it through a practice in which its religious origin outlaws me.

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You should give up, she'll just justify her hypocracy by saying that bigotry against bigots isn't really bigotry..

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

I know, But I still think it's worth atleast TRYING to get through to her.


toastpaint

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