Say Yay or Nay to Gay Marriage
Indications are growing stronger that the General Assembly may take on the issue of same-sex unions in the "lame duck" veto session. Tell us what you think.
Crain's Chicago Business reported last week that the Illinois General Assembly may be ready to approve gay marriage in January as part of the "lame duck" veto session.
Crain's Greg Hinz wrote:
"Legal gay marriage may be coming to Illinois as soon as next month.
"After counting heads and consulting with legislative leaders, the chief sponsors of a bill to permit same-sex couples to get married in the state disclosed this morning that they intend to push for a vote in the General Assembly's lame-duck session, which will occur over two weeks just after New Year's.
"And, in an indication of how big a campaign the pro side is launching, they've hired the firm founded by top presidential adviser David Axelrod to help them with media, organization and outreach to potential supporters, including corporate officials."
So, what do you think? Should the state Legislature approve a bill allowing same-sex couples to get married?
Vote in our poll, and leave you comments in the box below. We'll announce the results next Monday.
Last week, we asked Patch readers to tell us if they agree with Illinois having a concealed carry law.
The results were overwhelmingly in support of the measure, with 85 percent of the votes casts in favor of such a law. Only 10 readers cast votes against it.
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Dirty Laundry
7:00 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
It is my opinion the government should never be in the position to deny any class of rights to legal adult citizens. It seems to me the government does a pretty lousy job at handling moral issues, judging by the private lives of politicians. I'd much rather the government let adult citizens make their own choices, in line with their God and conscience.
Mike Schauer
8:22 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
Yes I do support Gay Marriage. It is long past, and should no longer be an issue. As for conceal and carry, there will be law passed. Hopefully with strcttor permit laws than we have now. And a complete ban on assault rifles.
Russ
9:30 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
The time has come to treat ALL Americans as equals under the law, hence the fabled but hard to find "separation of church and state". In this day and age, a little happiness and a few celebrations would be most welcomed!
Lyle Hughart
10:23 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
No! Let them have civil unions
steve James
5:07 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Wonder what you would say if your marriage was changed to a Civil union. I'm not saying your a bad person, you just need to get comforatble that this is civil law marriage and churches have the abstolute right to do religious marriages as per their beliefs
An example - nothing prevents a church from sanctifying polyamous or polyamourus relious marriages if they want to do so.. The business with the fundi LDS church is that their people were having sex with underage kids who cant legally give consent.
Russ
10:31 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
"Them" meaning other taxpaying and voting American citizens?
steve James
5:15 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
ACtually because of DOMA, even in states that have full marriage equality the gay couple pays more in taxes, eg they cant file federal joint tax like I and my wife do. We save everal thousand $$ because WE are the priveledged class.
HOpefully DOMA will becomea a "brand of toilet tissue" once the supreme court rules next June.
Ron
11:01 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
Isn't it sad that in this day and age that we can still find ways and words to separate ourselves from one another and create hard feelings? How can we expect our children to accept others that are different, share their things, and play nicely with others when we as grownups can't even do it? I'm just sayin'...
Lea Anne Stoughton
11:20 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
Yes to marriage equality!
Reality Bytes!
11:39 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
We have become a society without morals and without the fear of God. Do as you will, it doesn't matter to me, you get to explain to our maker...
steve James
5:08 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
...........who probably wont have nice things to say /do to you for treating part of his creation as second class citizens.
Russ
12:14 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
Whoever made me did a very nice job, thank you.
And remember that "throw the first stone" part??
Kristine Neumann
12:45 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
Everyone deserves to be happy.
Marc
1:13 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
Homosexuality is only natural:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356639,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/magazine/04animals-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
steve James
5:12 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
the real point is that every psych, organization, the AMA and the american pediatric association say being gay is natural.
There is one false group I wont name, but it has 200 members while the real group of the same type has 60000 members
the 200 member group was created by tHe FRC, whose president is shown in this article / picture.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/picture-worth-thousand-memories
steve James
5:18 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
BTW I should add that FRC was founded by a george Rekers, who also ran Narth, which claims to fix gay people
He couldnt even fix himself
http://www.ranker.com/list/top-10-anti-gay-activists-caught-being-gay/joanne
Tina
3:29 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
I Say HELL YES! And Its about time!! So sad that this is even an issue. What a wonderful day it will be when all the gay couples in this country have the right to marry whomever they wish.
Judith Binns
3:38 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
YES< it's long over due. I can't understand why it has taken this long and there is such a huge controversy regarding civil rights. Please, God, help the blind to see!!!!
Matt Johnston
6:20 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
Civil rights are just that, civil rights, no god, no religion, just rights afforded everyone under the law. Thank God this nation was founded by atheists.
Rick Garcia
2:24 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
NO! Let them have separate water fountains and toilets and lunch counters. We can't defile our holy religious tradition. Yeah. Right.
Caring Citizen
5:28 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Marriage was never created by a government. Marriage was created by God, and carried forward by churches. I will never consider a marriage between a homosexual couple acceptable because it is not what God intended. I understand that the government and laws are not based on any religion. So, they should make civil unions that are recognized by the government, and give those couples the same "civil priveleges" as married couples. There, problem solved. They get some tax breaks, some death benefits, etc., and the definition of a marriage (as defined by God who created the idea in the first place) doesn't have to change. Isn't that the whole problem anyway? They want the same money benefits and medical power, if a union gives them what they want, why push so hard to make Christians change their beliefs about what a marriage is?
Dan Johnson
1:43 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Supreme Court ruled on the matter of "separate but equal" in the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education. The court recognized that "separate but equal" opportunities created a feeling of inferiority for the minorities being segregated, and that this feeling of segregation could cause permanent emotional injury.It was the feeling of segregation and therefore inferiority that caused the court to determine separate could not be equal.
The Ca. Supreme Court: "While retention of the limitation of marriage to opposite-sex couples is not needed to preserve the rights and benefits of opposite-sex couples, the exclusion of same sex couples from the designation of marriage works a real and appreciable harm upon same-sex couples and their children." (p.117) "The statutory provisions that continue to limit access to this designation exclusively to opposite sex couples likely will be viewed as an official statement that the family relationship of same sex couples are not of comparable stature or equal dignity to the family relationship of opposite-sex couples." (p.118 In Re Marriage)
Our Constitution, as the law of the land, was intended to guarantee the same freedoms and rights to everyone. No one group should be singled out for being treated differently. Equal protection under the law is the foundation of American society.