Sunday, May 6, 2012

4th: LAST POST due 5/11


Can you believe that this will be the last posting of the year? As you know, the NC primaries are being held this week; in addition to voting for national, state and local officials (yay, Federalism) there is also an amendment to be voted on by the people of North Carolina.

For this week's posting please check out the wording of the Amendment as written by our General Assembly:


In your response, please include the following information:
1. What does the bill mean (briefly summarize it in your own words)?
2. What is the difference between an Amendment (in this case, to the North Carolina Constitution) and a regular bill/law?
3. Find an article that is written about Amendment 1. This can be for or against the Amendment, an analysis of it or a reporting of NC voters. Using the format that we have used all year, cite, summarize and analyze the article.

This week's posting is more complex than usual, but covers a very relevant topic as part of our study of civics and the legislative process and as North Carolinians. It will be worth 20 points. Please take your time and do a good job with this very important issue.

Have a great week. :)

21 comments:

  1. Nate M./ Pd.4

    1. A bill that makes the marriage between opposite sex is the only legal form of domestic union that shall be recognized and valid in the state.

    2. An amendment is an alteration of or addition to a motion, a bill introduces a new policy.

    3.
    Friends And Foes Of Gay Marriage Woo Voters In N.C.
    NPR
    by JESSICA JONES
    May 6, 2012
    http://www.npr.org/2012/05/06/152045460/friends-and-foes-of-gay-marriage-woo-voters-in-n-c

    In North Carolina, voters will decide on Tuesday whether to add an amendment to the state's constitution that would ban same-sex marriage and civil unions, as well as domestic partnerships. State law already prohibits same-sex marriage, but this measure would have broader consequences. Throughout the state, advocacy groups are stepping up their efforts to woo voters. At an early voting site in Raleigh, Marissa Farrel, 24, is handing out as many flyers as she can. She's a volunteer with Vote for Marriage NC, the main group that supports the measure. As a religious Catholic, she says she believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
    Farrel thinks the state needs this amendment defining marriage so judges can't overturn the state statute already prohibiting same-sex unions. North Carolina does stand alone as the only southern state without a constitutional provision limiting marriage to a relationship between a man and a woman. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, which tracks Defense of Marriage Act laws, 28 states have such constitutional provisions.

    Since I too am Catholic, I also oppose the same sex marriage. The Catholic Church opposes gay marriage and the social acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships, but teaches that homosexual persons deserve respect, justice and pastoral care. I don't have anything against homosexuals at all. I just believe marriage should only be between a man and woman, and should remain that way. As one of the many opposers, I hope that the amendment will pass.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. Shown in this bill is North Carolina’s recognition of legal domestic unions. It outlines that only marriage between a man and a woman is a lawfully accepted domestic union, and gay marriages are not considered as valid.
    2. An amendment is a slight change to a previously imposed law, and a bill or law is an individual outline of a specific notion incorporated into a larger body of ordinances.
    3.Title: Elected leaders in Orange County stand against Amendment One
    Author: Mark Schultz
    Date: April 29, 2012
    Source: Chapel Hill News
    http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2012/04/29/71148/elected-leaders-in-orange-county.html

    On the morning of Saturday, April 28th, 19 Orange County officials stood before a crowd outside of the Carrboro Town Hall to speak out regarding North Carolina’s heavily controversial Amendment One. Adversaries of the Amendment believe its passing would negatively affect the benefits of university and municipal workers which has galvanized opposition from business groups in Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Greater Durham chambers of commerce. In 1994 Carrboro established a domestic partner registry and Chapel Hill followed in 1995, and since 2003 Orange County has allowed benefits to the domestic partners of workers in the county. Though many presiding representatives such a Mark Kleinschmidt, homosexual mayor of Chapel Hill, and Mark Chilton, current mayor of Carrboro, are opponents of this bill, numerous GOP members are proponents. A recent poll confirmed the once 61 percent of North Carolinians endorsing this bill has now dropped to 54 percent in a six month period.

    It’s good to see the number of opponents for this amendment increasing because its notion is unfair. If North Carolina declines this amendment it may set an example to other southern states to allow same-sex marriages. Hopefully the legalization of domestic unions between same-sex couples will encourage incumbents at the national level to lawfully permit gay marriage for our entire country.

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  3. Maddie Mesaros

    Period: 4

    Date: May 9, 2012

    Title: Marriage vote brings lots of online snark about North Carolina

    Author: Thomas Goldsmith and Brooke Cain

    Source: News & Observer

    URL: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/09/2054893/marriage-vote-brings-lots-of-
    online.html

    1) The bill means that basically people of the same sex are prohibited from getting
    married.
    2) A law basically a rule passed by the government that you have to follow. An
    amendment is a change to a law or to the Constitution. I’m not sure about the
    frequency of people being able to vote on it but for the Amendment 1 people were
    given a chance to vote.

    This past Tuesday was the North Carolina primary and the vote on Amendment
    1. Amendment 1 basically bans people of the same sex to get married. The results of the
    amendment came in Tuesday night with it passing. Many people in North Carolina (mainly
    the Triangle where we live) are angry about the passing of the amendment. There are already
    groups forming to repeal it. A Facebook page called “Visit North Carolina” was swamped with
    profane posts. One Facebook poster said “North Carolina – keeping hate alive”.

    I personally am not sure what to think. I’m generally more conservative but this
    amendment really stumped me. I’ve heard compelling arguments from both sides but I’m
    personally glad I didn’t have to participate in voting for the amendment. I think the anger
    towards the passing of the amendment is kind of intimidating. I’ve talked to a few people
    who felt so strongly against it I wasn’t sure what to even say to them; but then there were
    the people who were so strongly for it I was confused what to say to them as well. I think this
    amendment was a large statement for North Carolina and it will be interesting to see what
    happens.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Justine Lockhart
    Period 4,
    1. The bill states that only marriages between a man and a woman will be the only type of marriage recognized as a legal union in the US.
    2. A bill is a seperate addition to the laws of a country, a bill doesn't relate to other laws, it's a new law. However an amendment is a change or addition to an existing amendment or the constitution. Amendment 1 is an addition to the existing amendments, it gives a "marriage" section to Article 14 of the North Carolina Constitution.

    North Carolina's Amendment 1: Losing on the Merits
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/noah-baron/north-carolina-amendment-1_b_1503159.html?ref=politics&ir=Politics
    Date: 5/09/12
    By: Noah Baron
    With the advertising of the NC Amendment 1, they failed to thoroughly explain exactly who the amendment will effect. There were effective ads against the amendment stating "Protect all NC Familes", focusing a lot of issues such as domestic violence and couples that will be effected. LGBT groups feel that the campaigns didn't focus enough on the same-sex couples that will be effected from the amendment. Some people feel that the advertising should have focused more on supporing lesbians, gay couples, etc, rather than highlighting effects on unmarried couples mostly. The goal of the "Protect all NC Familes" campaign was not to accept gay marriages, despite peoples' morals, but to change people's mind set of what is moral. Even though the amendment was still passed, the "Protect all NC Familes" campaign feels that they have had small victories and changed some peoples' minds on the subject.

    I'm very liberal, so I've always been in favor of gay marriage and civil unions. I'm definitely against the amendment and I'm upset that it was passed. I respect peoples' opinions and I can understand the religious reasons to vote for the amendment, but I feel it was passed due to a lack of education about the amendment. People who voted for it might have just thought it was banning civil unions and voting for simply against they don't support gay rights. That's why it's important to be educated about what you're actually voting for. However, for example, my mom's friend is conservative and he doesn't support gay marriage, but he still voted against because he feels that a lot of people would be harmed by the amendment passing. I obviously don't think it should have been passed, people are becoming more open to gay rights. I think that if this amendment was introduced in say, five or ten years later, it probably wouldn't have been passed.

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  5. Alex Adams
    5/10/12
    Period 4
    Amendment 1
    1. This bill is outlining an amendment that would effectively makes heterosexual marriage the only legally recognized union between two people. However, two people may enter into a legally binding contract, which will not be affected by this amendment.
    2. An amendment is much more difficult to repeal than a simple bill and will therefore not be repealed for another 20 years according to experts.
    3.
    Amendment One, North Carolina Gay Marriage Ban, Passes Vote
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/amendment-one-north-carolina_n_1501308.html
    5/9/12
    A North Carolina constitutional amendment passed on Tuesday with 69% voting for. The amendment will ban gay marriage completely in NC and will make it much harder to repeal a previous bill banning it. The amendment is very short so it is unclear how the new amendment will be interpreted. Fortunately, experts on both sides of the issue don’t think the amendment will last very long, because of the more open-minded views of younger generations

    I’m disgusted that this amendment was even voted on. I am a devout Catholic but I know this is not right. The part of the Bible many people refer to who are for this amendment was written thousands of years before Christ in the Old Testament. As I see it, this rule was put in place so humans could populate the world effectively. In this day and age we are overpopulated. Everyone deserves to marry the person they love. I am ashamed to live in North Carolina today.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nakeisha R/4th period
    1.The bill is about marriage between men and women are legal and if it’s not between a men and women then its illegal to that state that’s against same sex married.
    2.The difference between Amendment and law the Amendment is a change made to the existing law that cant be changed. A bill is a draft or proposal that can be changed anytime
    3. North Carolina Amendment 1 Divides Gay Rights Movement /Lila Shapiro
    05/09/2012/Huff Post Gay Voice
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/north-carolina-amendment-1-gay-rights-movement_n_1501501.html

    On thuesday, North Carolina voted for favor of the amendment 1 that bans same sex marriage and civil unions. The bill can attack gay people and unmarried couple and thier childrens along lesbians, bisexual and transgender rights movement. The Civic Right groups in North Carolina has been fighting since the last September ballot, spending about $3 million altogether. Evan Wolfson, the founder and director of Freedom of Marry said “There are many battles underway this year.” To Protect NC families,The Coalition group leading the battle against the law with a banner that warms the amendment could harm women, childrens and domestic violence victims.
    Adam Bink, the director of online programs at the Courage Campaign, said "I think it's really important that we don't leave any state behind." This affects me because I have friends that are gay and their reaction towards the Amendment 1 is calm, they know when they get older they can move to other states that allow same sex married. I think they shouldn’t make a big story out of same sex marrige because its going to be like the cell phone baning where somebody comes up with an excuse of why they should be married and it will happen.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Connor Smith
    Period 4, 5-10
    Amendment One polls give edge to North Carolina gay marriage ban
    Washington post
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/amendment-one-polls-give-edge-to-north-carolina-gay-marriage-ban/2012/05/08/gIQAyga5AU_blog.html

    This bill essentially invalidates any kind of legal union except the marriage between a man and a woman.
    An amendment to the North Carolina constitution makes it vastly more difficult to have hopes of one day legalizing different types of civil union, including gay marriage. The passing of this amendment cements the tunnel vision belief that marriage/union should only be allowed to a heterosexual couple as one of the foundations of our state’s legislation. It is ridiculous.
    The article states that amendment one bans all types of civil unions except marriage between a man and woman. It outlines the fact that North Carolina already has a statute outlawing gay marriage. It also brings to light the fact that this amendment endangers the rights of unmarried couples of all sexual orientation.
    I think that amendment one is one of the most ridiculous pieces of legislation I have ever seen. Not only is it entirely redundant, it takes away the rights of people who shouldn’t even come up on the radar of the ignorant supporters of this bill. I think that the idea of this bill epitomizes the backward way of thinking in conservative states. It also shows how hypocritical this country is. “All men are created equal,” yes, except apparently, those who are different from you. Also, the main argument for this bill seems to stem from religious views, so I guess we sort of adopted a Rick Santorium way of thinking, and forgot about the separation of church and state.

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  8. Hannah Hodge/Pd. 4
    1. The bill basically limits the definition of marriage to exclude homosexual couples and goes on to deny rights for those in domestic partnerships or civil unions, which could extend to homosexual and heterosexual couples. In addition to the statute we already have, it makes it extremely hard for there ever to be a way for gay marriage to be recognized by the state. And because the wording is vague, but takes away domestic partnership status, the rights of many families and unmarried couples-both straight and gay- are threatened.
    2. An ammendment is a lot more permanent and concrete. Once something is made into an ammendment, it is added to the constitution. This makes it much harder to change it in the future. We would need a referendum to reverse this amendment where as it was easier to overturn just a statute which was the previous ruling on gay marriage.
    3.

    Hannah Hodge
    Period 4, 5-10
    Amendment One Draws Attention from across the US
    ABC News and my Facebook
    http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8656657

    It has been one of the most energetic, involved and difficult political debates that NC has seen in a while, and though it was passed, many feel that the fight for justice is not over and that this decision will and can be repealed. Amendment one has been gaining attention from the entire country as a pivotal decision in the fight for marriage rights in the LGBTQ community. The media has played a huge role in spreading attention for the NC struggle. It quickly turned into a heated and passionate debate nation wide about religion, governmental roles, marriage and attitudes towards homosexual people. Unfortunately, much of the bill's ramifications have little to do with one's personal opinions on homosexuality or religion. Although it has been amazing to open up the arena of debate nationally, it gives citizens a convoluted sense of the issues at hand. This is not a bill that if passed says gay people are evil and that church dictates life, or if it is voted down, everyone in NC is open to gay people. At the end of the day, despite personal opinions, this is a legal matter and should be treated thusly. There is a distinct need for legal minds to analyze this bill with an untainted view point and inform people of the rights that will be denied for all sorts of people. Many North Carolinians don't fully understand what they are voting on. There are people all over the nation following our state and it's allowing them to have important discussions about human rights everywhere. This is an amazing thing as it just may lead to some forward progress in our country.

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  9. 1. It would make unions between a man and a woman the only recongnized unions in the state. There are also said to be unintended consequences.

    2. A bill is a proposed law which has not been approved and can still be changed while an amendment changes an existing law.

    3. Title: Amendment One Passes: North Carolina State University Student Launches Petition For Repeal
    Date:May 10
    Source: Huffington Post
    Author: No author listed
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/amendment-one-north-carolina-online-petition-_n_1503376.html#s=more225284

    A student at NC state has created an online campaign to try and repeal amendment one. While Jennifer Halweil is not gay herself, she feels that rights will be taken from all people. 7300 people have joined the campaign with over 10000 joining in the first 2 hours. The campaign is in petition form where people leave there information and can leave a comment. Many of the comments have been from homosexuals who wish to overturn the ruling.

    I think that trying to make a difference through the internet is a great idea. In the technological age it is a great place to try and get people to sign a petition. But while people from all over are chiming in, the choice was left to the people of North carolina and the majority chose to vote for the amendment. While I believe anyone should be able to get married, I was not able to vote on the amendment, but was allowed to vote in other elections (governor, commisioner of agriculture, etc.)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Casey Molina
    Period 4


    1. The bill describes that marriage, in the state of North Carolina, is recognized only as the union of one man as one woman. Homosexual marriages are not acknowledged by the state.
    2. An amendment changes, adds on to, or contradicts a former amendment that has been accepted as part of the constitution in the past. A bill or law is just an individual ruling not included in the constitution that people are required to follow.

    3. Americans divided as Obama endorses gay marriage
    By RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press
    http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/family/story/11086354/

    In several interviews of various individuals it is apparent that there are various opinions concerning same sex marriage. Citizens provided statements such as "We are absolutely thrilled. We still have a long way to go, but this is a huge step for Obama to take." While others said “the president was injecting himself into an issue that should be left to churches.” And still others said "Obama's proclamation, to me, just gives insight into his moral fiber. It's inappropriate for him to be speaking about it as president." Obviously there are citizens who agree with President Obama, believe he is getting involved in a matter left to others, and disagree with his endorsement. Many also expressed surprise that Obama would be willing to voice an opinion at all and more importantly before elections. Some believed that political stance prevented Obama from speaking freely sooner and still some believe that it may be nothing more than a political maneuver. As a whole nation it is apparent that voters are divided and not only in North Carolina.
    I personally applaud President Obama for taking a side. I am hopeful that his decision is more than a political action and that he is trying to reflect his true opinion in his actions. The obvious difference of opinion can cause conflict among a group and I think that in the end the President would be forced to make a decision so that opposing viewpoints could be argued once and for all. Now that the President has endorsed gay marriage, I expect conflict to rise and eventually resolve after many debates and national opposing opinions.

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  11. 1. This bill was made in reference to domestic unions in North Carolina. In this bill it is outlined that only the marriage between a man and a woman will be recognized by this state. This also means that a man and a woman do have to be married to be recognized as a “domestic legal union” meaning that unmarried heterosexual couples and unmarried/married homosexual couples will not be recognized as a domestic legal union by NC.
    2. An amendment to the constitution relates to a direct change to the constitution (changing a policy that is already in place), while a regular bill/law may introduce a totally new policy into the state.

    3. Laura Buczek/4th Period
    Source: CNN
    By: Faith Karimi
    Date: May 9th, 2012
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/09/politics/north-carolina-marriage/index.html

    On this past Tuesday, people of North Carolina voted on Amendment 1 to the constitution. Although, same-sex marriage was already illegal in NC, this amendment made it effective that the only domestic partnership to be recognized by the state was to be between a man and a woman. According to the article, “voters approved the amendment by a 61%-39% margin” this was taken from all the counties reported (all counties reported). This brought about a great controversy between the democrats in the state who were passively against the amendment with the strictly religious who were for the amendment. Vote for Marriage NC supported the amendment and Tami Fitzgerald, the chairwoman of the group stated that the group is “not anti-gay; [but] pro-marriage.” While a woman of Greensboro stated that the amendment “writes discrimination into [North Carolina’s] state constitution.” Another issue that is at hand is that since the amendment is very vaguely written, it could cause problems for same sex couples as well.

    Although I am disappointed that the amendment passed, I’m more disappointed in how people treat each other’s views on this issue. I understand and respect people who voted for the amendment because their viewpoints are valid just as those who voted against it. Personally, I support same-sex marriage and believe that this amendment will do more harm than good to NC as a whole. Also, I agree with the article that this amendment is vague, and I think that people voted on it very passively not realizing that it affected heterosexual couples that are not necessarily married but living together. I disagree with the idea that married homosexual couples should not be recognized as a domestic partnership since there is no reason that those rights should not be given to them and I hold a very strong view on it, however I respect the opinions of people that voted for the amendment.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Danielle Bailey
    Timeline of an 'evolution': How Obama made his same-sex marriage decision
    By Ashley Killough, CNN
    Friday May 11th, 2012
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/11/politics/gay-marriage-obama-timeline/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

    1. What does the bill mean (briefly summarize it in your own words)?
    -There basically saying the only legal marriage is between man and women. It says that's the only way a domestic relationship can be legal if it is only between a man and women.
    2. What is the difference between an Amendment (in this case, to the North Carolina Constitution) and a regular bill/law?
    -A bill is a proposal to make a law and an Amendment is just a change made to a current law.


    This is what Obama said about Amendment 1
    "I've just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama said in the interview. The response was instant and dramatic, as Twitter lit up with reactions of celebration and dismay, while political figures flooded reporters' in-boxes with statements. Everyone seemed to have something to say. Supporters hailed the president's decision, with many describing it as a historic moment for the movement. Opponents, however, were quick to disagree with his opinion, though some credited Obama for making his position clear.

    So i really got upset when people started criticizing Obama on his opinion about the Amendment. I honestly think everyone is entitled to there opinions, and Obama said what he felt. I am for same sex marriage, because i don't really understand what the big problem is, its about love not money! If someone really loves someone they should be able to legally get married. I think that since they did this, it doesn't really change anything, just that the same sex cant get married in NC! People can still have relationships and just get married other places. I really don't know why people are in other peoples business and relationships. I fell like NC is suppose to be about excepting everyone! So why cant they except the fact that some people just love their same sex, nothing is really different except their body parts. Anyway I'm agreeing with Obama, same sex marriage should be legal.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sean Dawson
    4th period
    5-11-12

    Senate bill 514 is based on marriage rights. It states that in North Carolina, gay marriage is not allowed. It states that a man and woman being married is the only legal marriage in the state. Voters will either vote “for” or “against” the bill. It will be effective when it becomes law. The difference between this amendment and a regular bill is that citizens will vote on this one.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/amendment-one-north-carolina_n_1501308.html

    On Tuesday, the bill was passed in NC against gay marriage. In the state, only a man and a woman can be married. NC is the 30th state so far to ban gay marriage. About 61% voted for the bill to pass. Barack Obama and Bill Clinton tried to convince others to vote against the bill. Apparently, it didn’t change enough people’s minds.
    If I were to vote on this, I would have voted against it. Who am I to tell someone how to live their life? I think people were selfish on the issue, and didn’t think about others. I think this says a lot about our state in that we are pretty selfish.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Charles Wang / 4th Period
    5/11/12
    North Carolina passes same-sex marriage ban, CNN projects
    From the CNN Wire Staff
    http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/politics/north-carolina-marriage/index.html

    The bill will only recognize marriage with a man and a woman. A amendment is a proposed change to the constitution while a law is a different thing that we have to follow. A amendment is also much harder to change because it is on the constitution while a law is just something by itself.

    North Carolina passed a law that banned same-sex marriage. The vote was 61%-39% which means it wasn't really close. The amendment will only recognize a marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This could affect many people's living conditions and their loved ones.

    I feel that people should have been aware of what this amendment does. If they aren't content with same-sex marriage, should they really be able to decide what other people do? I feel that people in America should be able to do what they want without being affected by other people.

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  15. Annie Wilcosky/ Period 4
    North Carolina Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment 1 Reportedly Written to 'Protect Caucasian Race'/ No Stated Author
    May 2, 2012
    The Huffington Post
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/north-carolina-gay-marriage-amendment-1_n_1470956.html


    1) This bill states that the only legal domestic union that will be recognized in North Carolina is marriage between a man and a woman.
    2) An amendment is a concrete addition to a previously created legal or statutory document. A regular bill or law introduces a new policy, and can be annulled more easily than an amendment.

    3) Jodie Brunstetter, the wife of state Sen. Peter Brunstetter, reportedly told poll workers on Monday that “The reason my husband wrote Amendment 1 was because the Caucasian race is diminishing and we need to uh, reproduce.” Journalist Chad Nance (who is a volunteer for a group trying to defeat the amendment) spoke to a poll worker who claimed that Brunstetter had said the preceding statement. Nance was also the campaign manager for a Democratic candidate for congress, but he left the campaign in order to speak out about Brunstetter's remarks. While speaking to Nance, Brunstetter later claimed that her remarks were taken out of context and that she hadn't used the word “Caucasian” in a race-related manner (hahaha). An update to this article states that Brunstetter did not explicitly link the amendment with protecting the “declining Caucasian race.” She simply stated that “America was founded by whites,” that “the Caucasian race is diminishing,” and that “it [is] important to preserve America as established by its founders.” No worries, then, since she wasn't talking about the amendment when she made those statements. She was just having an innocent conversation about “the declining Caucasian race” with some poll workers.

    I actually cannot believe that I just read this article. The fact that some people in positions of power in our state have these ideologies is not surprising to me anymore, but I still find it discouraging and really terrifying. North Carolina is backsliding, and the comments made by this woman only help to put a spotlight on the process. Even though she allegedly was NOT linking the amendment to the protection of “the declining Caucasian race,” the fact that she was discussing this issue at all with poll workers is worrying, in my opinion. Her comment about not using “Caucasian” in a “race-related manner” is my absolute favorite part of this article. North Carolina is receiving an incredible amount of external (and internal) negative attention for the recent passing of Amendment 1, and the actions of our senators (and their family members) and other people in positions of power in this state are not saving NC any face at all.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anna Baynes Period 4
    Town attorneys struggling to figure out amendment
    Sindya N. Bhanoo
    Beth Villiquette
    Friday, May 11, 2012
    http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/18540680/article-Town-attorneys-struggling-to-figure-out-amendment-?instance=search_results

    Senate Bill 514 is a bill to amend the North Carolina Constitution to say that marriage is only recognized if it is between a man and a woman. An amendment is a proposed change in an existing bill or law.

    In Carrboro and Chapel Hill recognized domestic partnership in 1995 and currently gives insurance benefits to partners of employees. However, with amendment one being passed on May 8th, there is uncertainty if these benefits will continue. The amendment was passed 61 percent to 39 percent. The amendment was voted against 79 percent to 21 percent in Orange County. Mike Brough and Ralph Karpinos, attorneys for Carrboro and Chapel Hill are unsure what will happen to these benefits since the amendment was passed. Domestic partnerships include health benefits for the partner and children. This is important because this decision will be a step in deciding marriage rights.
    I think amendment one should not have been passed and domestic partnership should still be recognized. I think people should have the right to marry whoever they want to. Marriage began as a religious concept but now that it involves financial benefits it should not be classified as religious. It should be classified as a political issue. In class we watched a news show about amendment one and the different ideas on it. I would like to know what percentage of the North Carolina population lives in Orange County.

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  18. 1. In brief summary, Senate Bill 541 states that the marriage between a man and a woman will be recognized by the State. Any other domestic union that does not meet the requirements is otherwise unrecognized by this State. Amending the bill requires the votes of the citizens of North Carolina on whether the majority will be either for or against the bill. Whatever the result is becomes a part of the Constitution; therefore, the law is activated once the result is final.

    2. Compared to an Amendment, a regular bill proposes a change in the Constitution. The bill states the requirements for activating the proposed law. An Amendment is a part of the Constitution that does not grant the likeliness or simplicity of adjusting the Amendment. In the bill proposing the recent Amendment on marriage, the bill presented the opportunity for citizens to vote against or for the Amendment. Section 5 then states that the act is effective after becoming a law. Once there is an Amendment, the law has already be enacted, thus Section 2 through 5 becomes irrelevant to the Amendment if it will no longer be challenged.

    3.

    Gabrielle Pura
    Period 4
    11 May 2012
    ABC News/ Steve Dorsey
    ' Opponents of Amendment One pledge to fight on
    http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8657163

    Even after the unfortunate results that came in this past Tuesday, opponents of Amendment One are not quitting in their fight. In Raleigh, the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church held a prayer meeting for Amendment One’s opponents. They had gathered in the church to be comforted with their religion and stay faithful to their fight for equality. Among these people who attended the prayer meeting were homosexuals. The results of the recent polling affected them greatly and they believe that North Carolina is taking a step backwards on the banning of gay marriage. In the grieving of losing the race for amending Amendment One, other Christians viewed the majority vote as something that will become a passive. Rev. Patrick Wooden, for example, directly stated that the anger will subside and people will continue with their personal lives.
    With whoever stated that North Carolina has taken a step backwards, I agree with them. North Carolina has indeed gone backwards economically and socially. It is a possible fact that jobs that the banning of gay marriage will make North Carolina appear hostile toward homosexuals. Due to this possibility, gays will most likely prefer to inhabit themselves in a gay-friendly environment. They will be able to contribute to the state taxes and help in the process of providing more money for their jobs. I am happy for the opponents of Amendment One who strive to fight for equality. Their actions serve as a great example to not give up even after losing a state-wide vote. As for the man who stated that people will continue living their lives as if there was never a vote, I believe that he is wrong. Though we both have religious views, his statement is not religious based; therefore I feel it is appropriate to criticize him. If homosexuals continue living their lives as if there was no vote, they would still have to fight for their equality. They would be in the exact same position as they are after the recent polling. Rev. Patrick Wooden, from his statement alone, appears to have very little experience boldly state a generic statement that definitely cannot be applied to domestic unions unrecognized by the State.

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  19. Max LeMoine/period 4

    1. The bill states that only a marriage between a man and a woman will be recognized by the state.
    2. The difference in an amendment and a bill or law is that a amendment will effect the whole state whereas a bill/law will only effect a certain part of the state. An amendment is also part of the constitution whereas a bill/law is just written down.
    Perdue: 'We look like Mississippi' after amendment vote/Laura Leslie
    WRAL.com/5/11/12
    http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/11093721/
    The governor of North Carolina said after passing the amendment “we look like Mississippi”. In other words, she is against the amendment and Mississippi’s views on same sex marriage. People from Mississippi have reported supporting people who voted for the amendment and for traditional marriage. Some government officials in North Carolina agree with Perdue’s comments and say that many other states have passed similar laws and did not get any hassle from anyone. In the end the North Carolina, governor has made comments about the new amendment and they have had many different impacts with many different people.

    I think that Perdue’s comments were uncalled for, but were going to come at one point or other. When she has such a huge impact on the thoughts of North Carolina, it is always bad to see her making fun of other states. Finally, I think the comments were unnecessary but had to come from someone at on point.

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  20. Diego Lewis Pd 4
    Amendment One North Carolina: Anti-Gay Marriage Measure Passes
    Elizabeth Hartfield
    May 11 2012
    ABC news.com
    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/amendment-one-north-carolina-anti-gay-marriage-measure-passes/

    1) The bill essentially says that the only marriages to be recognized are those between a man and a woman. All other unions or marriages are not legally recognized.

    2) Amendments are much harder to repeal than laws. Bills introduce new laws while amendments add onto the basic outline of our state legislature.

    3) The article outlines the basis of the amendment and the effects of it. About 61% of voters supported it before voting, and 39% were against it. The NC Democratic Party released their statement, saying that the amendment is a setback and that democrats in each precinct would continue to fight for equal rights. The Democratic Party called the bill “direct discrimination written into the constitution. NC used to be the only southern state that had yet to amend the constitution to disallow any recognition of a “irregular” marriage. The article says that Obama does not have to worry too much over the amendment, as these types of amendments are not always certain indicators of general opinion.

    First of all the amendment is openly going against articles 1 & 14 of the U.S. constitution as well as the idea of “pursuit of happiness for all” in the declaration of independence. And remember that this amendment was advertised as keeping traditional values… This sounds a lot like when blacks were openly oppressed, taking away their rights, saying only a certain type of people could do certain things. It is never ok for a government to legislate sexuality. It is not under the control of anyone, so the amendment should be immediately repealed. And this is all ignoring the affects the amendment will have on non- married couples, single moms, dads, and possibly transgender couples. What a bunch of idiots we have here in NC. I am ashamed to live here.

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  21. Marc Ordronneau

    This amendment states that the only form of legal marriage is between a man and a woman. In other
    words, gay marriage is illegal.

    An amendment has to be approved by 75% of the legislature and 50% of the congress. For a law, it just
    has to be approved by 50% of congress.

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/amendment-one-north-carolina-anti-gay-marriage-
    measure-passes/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    On Tuesday, an amendment that made only marriage between a man and a woman legal, was passed.
    This also means that civil unions and domestic partnerships well also be illegal, as gay marriage was
    already illegal. 99.9 of precincts voted and almost 61 percent voted for it. Democrats released a
    statement saying that they will still fight for equal rights despite this setback. A conservative Christian
    released a statement applauding the amendment saying that he was happy people recognized that
    a straight marriage should be the only one. NC becomes the 30th statement with this law and now all
    southern states have it. It has even passed in several blue states.

    As you probably assumed, I’m absolutely infuriated that this was passed. Even though I’m ashamed
    to live in a state with such a law, I’m glad that we live in the most left wing part of it. But still, this is
    offensive and demoralizing to gay people. They are equal to us and should have the exact same rights. I
    really want to keep going but I’ll refrain in case I offend someone!

    ReplyDelete