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November 6, 2008 at 17:39:19
by Rady Ananda Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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In Magical Voting Booth Transforms Clearheaded Americans Into Reactionist Morons, the Onion takes a lighthearted look at elections: A voting booth stationed at the fifth district municipal center in Denver possesses the otherworldly power to transform rational Americans into impulsive and narrow-minded morons, sources reported Tuesday. According to election officials, just by stepping inside the magical booth and drawing its curtain shut, well-informed Americans are suddenly altered, their ability to reason without bias or prejudice vanishing into thin air. But Obama does have his finger on the pulse of Main Street, as pointed out in Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress: "Today the American people have made their voices heard, and they have said, 'Things are finally as terrible as we're willing to tolerate," said Obama, addressing a crowd of unemployed, uninsured, and debt-ridden supporters. "To elect a black man, in this country, and at this time-these last eight years must have really broken you."
Many in the national election integrity movement were appalled during Obama's Victory Speech when he set back the movement ten years during his story about the 106-year-old black woman who voted when "she touched her finger to the screen... because she knows how America can change." So she thinks, anyway; and apparently so does Obama. But as we've been screaming for years, votes cast or counted on software can be changed without detection. With the New Boss in the White House in apparent denial about an issue that has been headlined repeatedly this year, we have our work cut out for us. This Onion VIDEO took this issue to its ridiculous extreme in Voting Machines Elect One Of Their Own As President. Although polls going into the final weeks of October showed Sen. Obama in the lead, it remained unclear whether the failing economy, dilapidated housing market, crumbling national infrastructure, health care crisis, energy crisis, and five-year-long disastrous war in Iraq had made the nation crappy enough to rise above 300 years of racial prejudice and make lasting change.
And on the Queer Front...
Obama is ambiguous on queer rights; right along with most Americans. While the U.S. now rejects discrimination based on race, it's apparently okay with rejecting equality for same sex couples, according to reported election results. Arizona, California and Florida all banned (again) same-sex marriage in this election.
hat tip to BakedPandaBlogspot.com
Although a same-sex marriage ban was already on the books, Florida's voting machines responded to a Constitutional initiative in this year's November 4, 2008 election by determining that 61% of Floridians are homophobic. They're also ageist, apparently, since the ban will affect senior citizens who live together outside of wedlock, in order to maintain their social security benefits. The language is simple:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA THAT: A new section for Article I is hereby created to add the following:Despite its simplicity, the effects are far-reaching, Judge David Young explains:Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.
The amendment (1) bans any legal union that is the "substantial equivalent" of marriage, (2) would jeopardize the benefits and health insurance that many employers provide to unmarried, heterosexual couples; and (3) puts at risk hospital visitations rights of unmarried couples. The same language has been used in other states to overturn civil unions and domestic partnerships.Florida may learn from Ohio's experience when it enshrined an unconstitutional domestic partnership ban in 2004 that allows wife beaters to go free because the couple, though living together, are not legally married. The hotly contested Proposition 8 in California is being called for homophobes, despite a CNN poll indicating the issue would be defeated. And although Arizona rejected such a ban two years ago, for some odd reason, the majority of voters purportedly divorced themselves from equality this year.
On the positive side, the Connecticut high court ruled in October that all citizens have full access to marriage, becoming the now-second state in the nation to abide the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Massachusetts allows it; California reportedly rejected it this week). Lambda Legal reports:
In a 4-3 decision, the court stated: "Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice. To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others."
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) filed suit on behalf of Beth Kerrigan and Jodie Mock in 2004. Eight states currently allow civil unions, and two allow full marriage, according to this Wiki map:
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Marriage Map per Wiki commons
Laws Regarding Same-Sex Partnerships in the United States (from Wiki)
Same-sex marriages Unions granting rights similar to marriage Unions granting limited/enumerated rights Foreign same-sex marriages recognized Statute bans same-sex marriage Constitution bans same-sex marriage Constitution bans same-sex marriage and other kinds of same-sex unions
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Wiki cc - Map showing the status of same sex marriage in Europe
¨€¨€ Same sex marriage recognized ¨€¨€ Civil unions recognized ¨€¨€ Unregistered cohabitation recognized ¨€¨€ Issue under political consideration ¨€¨€ Unrecognized or unknown ¨€¨€ Same sex marriage banned
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secret vote counting
"And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change." ~ Barack Obama, Nov. 4, 2008, Acceptance Speech by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Nov 6, 2008 at 7:07:21 PM  (0+)
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How the Russian Bear sees US, from the folks at Pravda
It sounds like the editors at Pravda, the mouthpiece of record, for decades, in Russia, have a pretty good grip on our current situation. They haven't drunk our Kool-Aid, but it sounds like they are happy to "hear" from us: "Only Satan would have been worse than the Bush regime. Therefore it could be argued that the new administration in the USA could never be worse than the one which divorced the hearts and minds of Americans from their brothers in the international community, which appalled the rest of the world with shock and awe tactics that included concentration camps, torture, mass murder and utter disrespect for international law. Yet in choosing Obama, the people of America have opted to come back into the international fold. Welcome back, friends! " by muservin (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 78 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Nov 6, 2008 at 9:50:36 PM (0+)
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Reply: awww... thanks for this
adding to world reaction... RJF posted this from Le Monde: Sorry, we can’t, par Robert Solé "Sorry. No column today. The keyboard is not responding. History is a page being turned. Three words on the screen: 'Yes we can.' While it is impossible to joke with genocide or disaster, it is equally impossible to joke with an event that makes you weep for joy. The first worldwide good news since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 needs more than a pirouette or an amused wink. At this moment - but for how long? - we can say with far more conviction than on 11 September 2001: we are all Americans." by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Nov 6, 2008 at 10:04:03 PM (0+)
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That this subject is in political arena, is insane to me
How some one's sexuality, or love should be a subject of political discussion for regulation of any kind goes against everything I would believe our Constitution stands for. Only the most dim and vapid amongst us should care who some one else loves, or what gender they may be. What possible effect this could have on any one's life outside of the one's involved is beyond me. And if there is anyone reading this that can explain to me how it does, please, have at it, I need a good laugh. This is one of those stupid "wedge issues" breed in small minds of religious zombies that have no merit in an intelligent political discussion. by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 12:02:12 AM (0+)
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Reply: miscegenation, saphristry & other loves
The sexual doings of adults - within the bounds of safe, sane and consensual - falls within the realm of "it's my prerogative." I was too pleased to find that photo. thx for your comment, Mr. M by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 6:39:48 AM (0+)
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wonderful links
...especially The Onion's view of the election. So far it seems that the news organs with the largest reach that are still willing to tell us the truth about our elections are The Rolling Stone and The Onion. Thanks, Rady! by Josh Mitteldorf (27 articles, 82 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 73 comments [39 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 7:56:57 AM (0+)
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same sex marriage in Europe
Compare the state of the law in the US to Europe. Wiki Map Gay marriage or civil union is authorized in England, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Demnar, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Finland, Norway, Spain, Iceland, Austria and more. Canada has full marriage for gays. The only countries with laws on the books banning gay unions are Serbia, Latvia and Lithuania. by Josh Mitteldorf (27 articles, 82 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 73 comments [39 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 8:11:51 AM (0+)
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Reply: cool European map
thanks for posting this, Josh... I've modified the article accordingly. by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 12:12:39 PM (0+)
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Don't let the issue drop
Since there was obviously no theft this time around using touch-screen voting the impulse might be to forget about the issue. That would be a big mistake. If such shenanigans have indeed been going on, such perpetrators may have chosen to lay low in an election that everyone knew that they weren't going to win. Unless we move agressively to fix the problem while the Democrats are in power it could raise its head in the future if an election comes down to a thin margin. by Doug Rogers (16 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 152 comments) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 10:29:42 AM (0+)
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Reply: 2nd tier races still in question
it's an interesting question - some think the lower tiered races were questionable. And since ALL software can be modified without detection, we still have no rational basis for confidence in reported results. So, you're absolutely right that we still need to get these machines outa here. btw, I'm collecting essays from NY lever voters... will you write one? by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 12:15:30 PM (0+)
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Equality and Democracy are the True Measures.
Equality should be dictated economically. It is more than just "opportunity", which is just hot air. (The useless rich have stolen 90% and it is time to return the swag.) Democracy has to be transparent and it has to come out of a wholesome media environment. by John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1763 comments [39 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 12:47:23 PM (0+)
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I thought at least California had grown past this Bigotry
"Marriage" is a secular contract between two people and the government which legally bestows numerous benefits and responsibilities on them. The religious extremist mantra that marriage is somehow related to the ability to procreate doesn't seem to apply to those couples, like my sister, who is well past child-bearing age, yet fell in love with a man and they were happily married earlier this year. Why deny this to others? Congrats to Conneticut. Shame on California, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas, as well as the Mormon individuals who contributed huge amounts of money to the Proposition "Hate"marketing We can do better that this, in my opinion. by Rob Magee (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 12 comments) on Friday, Nov 7, 2008 at 11:35:45 PM (0+)
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