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Take a step back

Jacqueline P. Smith
Letters |
Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 1:01 am

When are individuals going to grow up, mature and realize that we live in a democracy? People decide, through elections, numerous issues. We may not always agree with the outcome, but we have to accept the will of the majority.

Question 1 created a lot of bad blood between citizens on both sides of the issue. It's time for everyone to get on with their lives and not keep complaining and criticizing. If our forefathers had wanted to recognize gay marriage, the laws would not have been written identifying marriage as between a man and a woman and, therefore, would not need to be changed.

This issue has been defeated numerous times now and, hopefully, will not keep resurfacing. Maine is not the only state to vote against gay marriage, but is ahead of others by recognizing civil unions. So, why not broaden the definition and rights of civil unions and try to satisfy most people?

Common sense says that you can't please everyone, but let's stop attacking each other, take a step back, rethink the issue and try to find level ground.

Jacqueline P. Smith, Lewiston

More from Letters

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R. Sabine: Judging the need and the truth 2
J. Grover: Religious state of Maine 1
R. Baskett: Council's decision promotes civic engagement 2
M. Richard: It will be up to the voters
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RpsNoMore's picture

A list of Bush and

By RpsNoMore, unverified — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 15:52

A list of Bush and Republican failures ...

Lied about WMD.

Unilaterally invaded a sovereign nation without provocation and justification.

Lied during State of the Union speech re: Niger Uranium.

Responsible for pre-9/11 intelligence failures in White House, CIA, FBI.

Allowed 9-11 murderers to remain free while diverting precious military and financial resources to his vanity war in Iraq.

Lied about Saddam/bin Laden connection.

Turned Iraq into a terrorist breeding ground.

Lied about nation-building.

Opposed creation of 9-11 Commission and Homeland Security Department.

Disrespected and alienated the U.S. from French, German and other key allies.

Lied to Americans about the real cost of war.

Fostered an environment of torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.

Lined Halliburton's pockets in Afghanistan and Iraq with fat no-bid contracts.

Under-manned and under-equipped our armed forces in Iraq, resulting in unnecessary death and injuries.

Ignored the nuclear build-up in both Iran and N.Korea; marginalized Kim Jong Il.

Shunned Kyoto Treaty.

Lied about effects of man-made pollutants on the environment to support corporate pals.

Lied about the insolvency of Social Security.

Gave huge cuts to the wealthiest taxpayers.

Lied about true cost of health care bill.

Lied about Free Trade stand.

Bitterly divided the nation along religious, party and sexual preference lines.

Guilty of numerous cronyism appointments (Homeland Security, Supreme Court, etc)

Rewarded failures of Condi Rice and other cronies with key promotions.

Dreadful energy policies lead to record gas and oil prices.

Responsible for the largest debt in U.S. history.

Colossal failure of preparedness, rescue and relief during Hurricane Katrina.

Fostered a culture of corruption among GOP and top leadership (Tom Delay, etc).

Allowed Donald Rumsfeld to keep job despite utter failure in Iraq.

Presided over the U.S.'s lowest popularity throughout the world.

Saw No Child Left Behind fail.

Lied last week about Iraqi troop strength during Saturday radio address. Directly contradicted by testimony given earlier in the week by Gen. Abizaid.

Colossal failure of preparedness for the transition of Medicare Part D.

Allegations of fraud surrounding the 2000 and 2004 elections.

Not elected by a majority of the popular vote in 2000.

Bush's lied when he said, "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

FeloPrergoHok's picture

queenhoneeybee - your

By FeloPrergoHok, unverified — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 12:14

queenhoneeybee - your constant whining and carping about equality grows old. This is not a "rights" issue but a "special privileges" issue. As in 30 other states, Mainers voted down your attempt to change a thousands-of-years-old God-given institution between a man and a woman. Accept it. When 3% of the population engages in homosexual relationships, you cannot force it down the throats of people as you have attempted and get us to put a "stamp of approval" on such an anomaly. Even if the courts go radical and force it, you and your sexual behavior will never be accepted.
This is you queenhoneeybee:
Romans 1:26,17 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Yes, there is a God and he abhors sin because He is holy and pure. He hates all sin - homosexuality among them. There is a choice people. Thousands of people have left the destructive homosexual lifestyle. There is no gay gene - don't be fed such a lie. queenhoneeybee - even you can turn from your sexual perversions. It is not too late!

tron's picture

When you went to bigot

By tron, unverified — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 16:27

When you went to bigot school, did they teach you that the way to talk to people you degrade is to call them perverts? And aren't you the pervert for refusing to treat everyone equally.

queenhoneeybee's picture
verified

Wow! I have to take that

By Melissa Dunn, verified user — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 15:37

Wow! I have to take that compliment! =] I'm gay! HAHA!

queenhoneeybee's picture
verified

Alas! Our forefathers

By Melissa Dunn, verified user — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 02:11

Alas! Our forefathers wanted to recognize EQUALITY ( =] )... Our Constitution stands for EQUALITY for all. I think by now that would take precedence.

jchick's picture
verified

This is not about rights.

By John Chick, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 16:28

This is not about rights. This is about marriage. The people of Maine thought marriage was so important to society, they codified it in State Law. How has this changed? If it was true then, it is still true today.

Maine Revised Statute
Title 19-A, Chapter 23

§650. Findings and purposes

(WHOLE SECTION TEXT IN EFFECT PENDING REFERENDUM ON 11/3/09)

All municipal clerks and courts of this State shall have a duty and shall be legally required to construe the provisions of Maine's marriage laws in accordance with the following findings and purposes: [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]

1. Findings. The people of the State of Maine find that:

A. The union of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage is of inestimable value to society; the State has a compelling interest to nurture and promote the unique institution of traditional monogamous marriage in the support of harmonious families and the physical and mental health of children; and that the State has the compelling interest in promoting the moral values inherent in traditional monogamous marriage. [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
[ 1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW) .]

2. Purposes. The purposes of this chapter are:

A. To encourage the traditional monogamous family unit as the basic building block of our society, the foundation of harmonious and enriching family life; [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
B. To nurture, sustain and protect the traditional monogamous family unit in Maine society, its moral imperatives, its economic function and its unique contribution to the rearing of healthy children; and [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
C. To support and strengthen traditional monogamous Maine families against improper interference from out-of-state influences or edicts. [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]

[ 1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW) .]

SECTION HISTORY
1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW). 2009, c. 82, §1 (RP).

John A. Chick

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey (January 6, 1816)

nikita80's picture

Guess we'd better all get

By nikita80, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:40

Guess we'd better all get geared up for the next election.

Pirate's picture
verified

You got that

By Paul St. Jean, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 12:44

You got that right...AARRGHH!!

Ernest's picture
verified

Just for the record we live

By Ernest Labbe, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:26

Just for the record we live in a "Republic" not a "Democrcy".

Pirate's picture
verified

Read my post, queen. Two men

By Paul St. Jean, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:23

Read my post, queen. Two men marrying each other is not a constitutional right. Yes, we are all equal, but we don't all prefer "equal" things. Therein lies the problem.

Fear not the enemy at the gate, for it is the enemy within that will devour you.

ValdezGreene's picture

It took decades for slaves

By ValdezGreene, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 10:24

It took decades for slaves to be freed, because people kept "rethinking" the issues. Our forefathers were owners of slaves until someone came to their senses. Just food for thought.

citrus's picture

Your not comparing apple

By citrus, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 14:58

Your not comparing apple with apples. Slaves to sin is alot different than slavery.

ValdezGreene's picture

History is laughing at us.

By ValdezGreene, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 17:01

History is laughing at us. Slaves were freed in time, women were given the same rights as men, and one day, gays will be able to get married. It just may take a while.

queenhoneeybee's picture
verified

I agree! Lets just hope its

By Melissa Dunn, verified user — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 02:18

I agree! Lets just hope its sooner than later!

Pirate's picture
verified

Slavery and the civil rights

By Paul St. Jean, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 11:20

Slavery and the civil rights movement were about skin color. The gay movement is about sexual behavior/preference; they are not the same. Civil unions will give them all the benefits they feel they're entitled to. But, that is not their objective, which is to force the rest of us to go along with their redefinition of marriage. That's one bullet some of us are not willing to bite.

Fear not the enemy at the gate, for it is the enemy within that will devour you.

ValdezGreene's picture

And why are you so high and

By ValdezGreene, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 16:58

And why are you so high and mighty, Pirate? Just realize these are your OPINIONS, not everyone's. Your opinions matter just as much as anyone else's. You see, there are so many sides to this. If you're going to do "this", then you have to make "that" right as well, or you'll be a hypocrite. And hypocracy runs rampant. I have been guilty of it, so has everyone. I have a feeling if you were gay, you'd be on the other side of things.

scott's picture

These may be Pirate's

By scott, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 17:12

These may be Pirate's opinions, but they are mine and everyone else's that voted yes on 1. We had more opinions than you so it was overturned. That is they way it works. My mom is gay and I still voted yes on 1. Why? Because two people that are of the same sex getting married is wrong.

queenhoneeybee's picture
verified

W O W (double WOW)!!!

By Melissa Dunn, verified user — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 02:17

W O W (double WOW)!!!

Rinoblast's picture

1) This issue has not come

By Rinoblast, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 07:25

1) This issue has not come up multiple times. This is the FIRST time Maine has voted on gay marriage.
2) Democracy is majority rule with RESPECT to minority rights. Chew on that for a moment.

Centarie2000's picture
verified

Respect has many meanings

By Allisa Milliard, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 19:59

Respect has many meanings apparently. Respect does not mean that the minority will always get what it wants. It means that the majority allows the minority to have a voice. Gay/Lesbians had their friends in Augusta pass a social change bill, and they had just as much publicity (if not more) and air time during the months leading up to the election.

jchick's picture
verified

This is not about rights.

By John Chick, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 16:23

This is not about rights. This is about marriage. The people of Maine thought marriage was so important to society, they codified it in State Law. How has this changed? If it was true then, it is still true today.

Maine Revised Statute
Title 19-A, Chapter 23

§650. Findings and purposes

(WHOLE SECTION TEXT IN EFFECT PENDING REFERENDUM ON 11/3/09)

All municipal clerks and courts of this State shall have a duty and shall be legally required to construe the provisions of Maine's marriage laws in accordance with the following findings and purposes: [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]

1. Findings. The people of the State of Maine find that:

A. The union of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage is of inestimable value to society; the State has a compelling interest to nurture and promote the unique institution of traditional monogamous marriage in the support of harmonious families and the physical and mental health of children; and that the State has the compelling interest in promoting the moral values inherent in traditional monogamous marriage. [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
[ 1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW) .]

2. Purposes. The purposes of this chapter are:

A. To encourage the traditional monogamous family unit as the basic building block of our society, the foundation of harmonious and enriching family life; [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
B. To nurture, sustain and protect the traditional monogamous family unit in Maine society, its moral imperatives, its economic function and its unique contribution to the rearing of healthy children; and [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]
C. To support and strengthen traditional monogamous Maine families against improper interference from out-of-state influences or edicts. [1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW).]

[ 1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW) .]

SECTION HISTORY
1997, c. 65, §2 (NEW). 2009, c. 82, §1 (RP).

John A. Chick

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey (January 6, 1816)

queenhoneeybee's picture
verified

Rethinking the issue and it

By Melissa Dunn, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 03:15

Rethinking the issue and it still comes down to the fact of our nation and Constitution. Equality. Level ground is just that.

Pirate's picture
verified

The only remaining

By Paul St. Jean, verified user — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 12:43

The only remaining unprotected class of citizens in this country is working heterosexual white males and you bring up level ground?

queenhoneeybee's picture
verified

someone's whining...

By Melissa Dunn, verified user — Fri, 11/13/2009 - 02:16

someone's whining...

ValdezGreene's picture

Really? Come on now Pirate.

By ValdezGreene, unverified — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 17:03

Really? Come on now Pirate.

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