Justice, compassion missing from new laws : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

Legislative lunacy is out of control! Consider the effort in North Carolina to add a constitutional amendment on marriage.

The amendment essentially would echo a state law already in effect, with the added likelihood of being a permanent restriction on who marries whom. There is no justice included in that proposed amendment, only unjust prohibitions.

On the national legislative scene comes the matter of birth control choices. In shades of past centuries, an all-male panel in the U.S. House was appointed to hear the reports of how contraceptive measures may be included in health insurance. One wag actually commented that the only effective contraception was the lowly aspirin tablet. Bizarre attitudes such as that boggle the public mind. What time warp are we living in? What planet are we on?

These legislative efforts reflect ignorance of constitutional principles of equality before the law and the centuries’ old ethic of compassion. Just laws define what promotes the general welfare of all those who reside in this state and in this nation. The tenor of current legislative behavior runs counter to both justice and compassion.

Jean Rodenbough
Greensboro

dubya

February 22, 2012 - 7:31 am EST

The free contraceptive handouts by bin obama was brought up to replace the abortion issue because the murder of infants in the womb has become such an albatross around the neck of the dnc. They had to come up with a new gig for election year. Now it's "The republicans want to take away your free birth control pills".

left-wing conspiracy theorist

February 22, 2012 - 2:52 pm EST

Wrong. This is not a new development. Obama ran on the platform to reduce the necessity for abortions, thereby reducing the number of abortions. Which I thought was something you on the 'high moral values' crowd could support. Oh, wait, it is Obama's position, that makes it evil. Sorry. I forgot.

By the way, providing birth control to young people and others who cannot afford it was going on during the Reagan-Bush years too.

marcusk

February 22, 2012 - 7:34 am EST

Sec. 6. Marriage.
Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.
After reading the proposed amendment it seems to me that people are indeed protected....I see nothing mean spirited or in anyway punitive to any individual... and, if as many states it is what is already on the books then logically there is no argument, unless one has an agenda... which I believe is the case.

ghost from white oak

February 22, 2012 - 9:53 am EST

I think you have hit upon the key word "agenda".

February 22, 2012 - 2:56 pm EST

This is true. We left-leaning folks want everyone to be afforded equal protection under the law. It's on our agenda.

February 22, 2012 - 2:54 pm EST

The scary thing is I believe you actually DON'T see how this law would discriminate or not afford equal protection under the law.

goodtoknow

February 22, 2012 - 10:53 am EST

The agenda is...changing life as we know it in this country. Destroying morals and principles. The idea that anything goes and follow your feelings and not the law or the moral right thing to do. In New Jersey and some other states for example, gays already have civil unions, but they want the word marriage. To get married in a church would be a step toward taking down religion. There's a dog fight going on today in another blog where you can see this in action. Beware of the people that say, I am in good standing with MY GOD, or words to that effect. They probably are one of the destroyers. Beware of the word or words like justice and social justice. These people are destroyers. Also, the ACLU was mentioned, and true they do some things right, but in the long run it seems they are trying to change the Constitution. The ACLU was started by a communist and it generally has left leaning lawyers. And they may be doing all this to change the political issues of the day like the economy, fossil fuel etc. because we all know the president cannot run on his record. He's lowering corporate tax rates today just two days before Romney announces his plan. This is something that has been argued for the past three years. Everything the president does is for his benefit not ours.

nemo0037

February 22, 2012 - 12:37 pm EST

You know, this country has "changed life and morals" plenty of times over the course of history. Not very often, have the changes made things worse. We got rid of slavery, allowed women to vote, guaranteed elderly people a minimal income and health care after they reach a certain age, gave non-white people access to equal education and employment opportunities, and even allowed people of differing "races" to get married.

Personally, I think all of those changes to life and morals were for the better... and every one of them had people from Christian churches that opposed them, often to the point of murder. And I have little doubt that not very long after gay marriages are legalized somewhere in the South (and it will inevitably happen), it won't be long until some nut case chanting verses from Leviticus ends up murdering a gay couple in front of their family. Sad, but true...

bbzeus14

February 22, 2012 - 3:00 pm EST

Amen.

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