Oh great!

Oh great! Now that there is same sex marriage in New York and they are the trendsetters for the country, it will expand everywhere. Who's next, Iowa? What? Oh, they already have it. Well, it is a good thing that 41 other states have banned same sex marriage either by law enactment or constitutional amendment. That will stop those gays right in their tracks.

Except for this little document that says that every state must accept the legal documents from other states. This document was written a long time ago and it isn't like we still follow it or anything. It is the United States Constitution. Now I understand that the U. S. Constitution trumps state constitutions and state laws. In fact, conservative U. S. Supreme Court judges which dominate the U. S. Supreme Court and got their conservative support by saying that they are strict constructionists and don't think that Supreme Court judges should be activists judges making up laws from the bench, should be supporting this section of the U. S. Constitution (Article 4 Section 1) which says that every state must accept legal documents from other states. This is why when you get a driver's license in one state, you can legally drive in another state. This is why a couple that gets married in Illinois (which I did), is still married when they move to another state, like Texas, Georgia, California, and Wisconsin (which I did) is still married in each of those states. Otherwise guys (and some gals) would simply change states and claim they were no longer married.

Sooo.... a couple that gets married in Iowa and moves to one of these aforementioned states would still be married, right? In fact, would they not still be married in each of the 41 other states that passed something legal that denies same sex marriage? Quick, what is your answer?

Stumped? Oh, I forgot to tell you the genders of the couple that got married in Iowa. Does it matter, by law? Does a legal marriage in Dubuque, IA still constitute a legal marriage when the couple moves across the river into Wisconsin? Where would a U. S. Supreme Court justice look for an answer to that issue? The U. S. Constitution? The Wisconsin Constitution? Iowa law? What ruling would a judge come up with if they wanted to interpret the U. S. Constitution strictly? Where would they justify that a man/woman marriage is the only one ever meant by our founding fathers when they wrote the U.S. Constitution. In denying that a marriage is a marriage is a marriage, wouldn't that make a U. S. Supreme Court justice an activist judge, interpreting the U. S. Constitution in a way that changes what the U. S. Constitution literally says?

Should same sex marriage be allowed anywhere and everywhere? Look around. Denying that there really are homosexual couples, leaves you looking much like an ostrich. Some people point to their Bible, church, religious leaders, and anything else to take on a holier than everyone else stance. Some say discrimination is discrimination is discrimination. Let's end discrimination.

This is a generational divide as well as religious and political. Generally speaking younger people are more accepting of differences between people and older folks are less tolerant of differences. In the last 15 years approval for same sex marriage has gone from 27% to 53%. While some object to the comparison, this is much like the civil rights movement. It is coming. Move forward or be left behind.

Finally, let's not get addle brained by the anti-homosexual groups that want to compare same sex marriage with marrying multiple persons, or marrying a goat. I'd laugh at those people, except they are serious and dangerous.

Same sex marriage, legal in 6 states and Washington D. C. and counting. As with the civil rights movement, it is a long time in coming and long overdue.

He came from another state. He volunteered in the recall elections of Republicans, working first in the Hudson, WI area, and then, on a visit to Milwaukee, working on the Sandy Pasch campaign north of Milwaukee in Shorewood. He volunteered to go door to door. He met lots of people. It was the Saturday before Father's Day and many people were home. Some asked him questions about the candidate, but the most interesting were the questions about what he was doing and why. "Are you from around here?" "Are you a teacher?" Sometimes it was just a statement..."I don't like what Clinton did with that gay marriage issue." "I'm not in favor of all these recalls. That's not the way to change politicians. Wait til their election." He is politically savvy and knows how to respond to those comments. "I've lived most of my life in Wisconsin and just took a job in Minnesota." "I am a teacher...on the college level." "Changing politicians now stops a disastrous direction Wisconsin is on now." Most of the people were very supportive. One yelled at him to "Go away!" Of the contacts he was to make, he saw real people in about half. He wanted to make a difference and this was an excellent way to do so. He made his dad proud and didn't even know that this was a great Father's Day present. He had wanted me to go along, but I had other commitments that couldn't be broken at the last minute. I didn't know he was going until he arrived Friday night. He questioned where my involvement was. I had been saying I was going to donate money to the campaigns. I haven't. Tonight, I'm going on line to give some money to the cause. I'll find my way onto the campaign trail. But, tonight, I can do something.

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Get involved in whatever way you can. Change happens when individuals act. Individual action causes change.

Thanks to my son for re-inspiring me.

If you haven't already this weekend, thank a dad. In sadness, in anger, in joy, in trials, in desperation, they've done the best they could for you.

Then, take action. Wishing, hoping, wanting change won't happen without your help. Do something.

"In a Democracy, people get.........

"In a Democracy, people get the government they deserve." Alexis de Tocqueville

But wait, those of us that live in Wisconsin, surely don't deserve what has befallen us. Do we? The answer to that, is .....yes. Joanne Kloppenberg was about to lose to David Prosser in the State Supreme Court race by a gigantic margin--probably 2-1. Then the budget protests started and people who knew nothing about that election got involved and almost, almost, just nearly barely, pulled out a win for Kloppenberg. Oh, so close that 7000+ votes hidden from view on election night turned the tide and a win for Prosser. Oh well, maybe we'll try again next time.

The next time is near, very near. What is at stake? The entire future direction of Wisconsin is at stake. Gov. Scott Walker and his majority of Republicans in both houses of the state Congress just passed a budget bill that, and this is from Republican leaning new outlets, cuts aid to public schools, promotes money for private schools, cuts aid to the poorest in Wisconsin, forces public employees to hand back some of their pay, attacks unions (both public and private) and gives tax breaks (read lots of money) to businesses and the richest in Wisconsin. What paved the way for this? The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that, essentially,the bill passed by Republicans was legal and that the lower court that ruled that the Republicans had violated Wisconsin's open meeting law and invalidated the law was wrong and overturned that decision. Do you have to even ask which side of the 4-3 decision David Prosser was on? (By the way, Prosser wrote a separate majority opinion that basically says that regarding legislative rules, if the legislature violates one of its rules, that in effect, changes the rule. True. Read it.)

So what is the next opportunity for changing things? Oh, that is very near. Oops, maybe not as close as you might like. There were going to be recall elections July 12th. Six Republicans and three Democrats were to face a mid-term re-election challenge. But the Republicans decided that they could delay these elections if there were too many candidates in the election and that election was changed into a primary election instead of a final election. So, they got Republicans to gather enough signatures to run as a Democrat, forcing a Democratic primary on July 12th and pushing the main election back to August. This would give Republicans more time to mount a defense (read money) of their seats and more time for time passage, in that as time passes, voters will lose steam and fervor over what brought about the recall elections in the first place.

If you are now thinking "Oh, good I can sit back and wait to vote until August.", you need to change your thinking. Recalling six Republicans takes money and volunteers. Those are needed now. Money is needed to combat big Republican money which is coming in large amounts. Volunteers are needed for canvassing and phone calls. There are also three Democrats that are defending themselves against a recall election. They need the same things, money and volunteers. What is at stake? Walker's agenda is not done. Changing Wisconsin to a "Right to work state" which threatens all unions and threatens all workers' salaries will be coming soon. Tapping into the Wisconsin Retirement System pension fund that is doing quite well is on the agenda. Giving corporations and businesses even more incentives (read money back to them) for running a business in Wisconsin is definitely going to be emphasized. Redrawing congressional districts to favor Republicans is coming up soon too. Challenge anything Walker does and the State Supreme Court will back Walker up. What is at stake? Check out the importance of the Prosser election and the 4-3 conservative majority on the state Supreme Court. What else could be done? Look for social changes that would douse same sex unions, restrictions on abortions, including health care for the poor, support for religions that may not be yours (besides support for religious, private schools via vouchers), restrictions on voting (already here), further cutbacks to education, increases to college tuition, and, and, and.....

The recall elections need a Democratic sweep to change Madison, to stop the radical agenda that has already been passed and will be pushed for in the future. Some are waiting for a recall effort on Scott Walker, which cannot occur until he has been in office for at least one year, or next January. Waiting until then will allow an unfettered reign by Walker and the Republicans to push through anything....anything....anything for the next eight months.

ABSOLUTE POWER

Many people believe that if the executive branch is controlled by one party, the legislature should be, at least, partly controlled by the other party. That is not the case for the next two years if nothing changes. The Republicans have absolute power and a Supreme Court to back them up. "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely..."--Lord Acton

In a Democracy, people get the government they deserve. What do you deserve? If you deserve better, act! If you haven't liked the past six months, you will hate the next 18 months.

Get the real government you deserve.