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<TITLE>Re: [Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Bill has it right. There is nothing scary about the idea that the average person is not an expert about constitutional rights.<BR>
<BR>
Kai, do you think your right to free speech is a matter of public opinion, that you would have no right to speech if the general public said so?<BR>
<BR>
Your right to free speech is not a matter of popular opinion. And neither is any other right. I’m thankful for that, and not just because you’re a fellow Wildcat!<BR>
<BR>
Joe<BR>
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On 11/20/08 10:46 AM, "Bill London" <london@moscow.com> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Arial">That is not a scary sentence. That is the role of the courts.<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">A scarier sentence might be:<BR>
"They (the supreme court) agreed that the voters did have the authority to enact a law to imprison all Muslims and destroy all mosques."<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">After all, just recall the relocation of Japanese Americans in World War II. <BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">BL<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <BR>
</FONT></SPAN><BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <BR>
----- Original Message ----- <BR>
<BR>
<B>From:</B> Kai Eiselein, Editor <a href="mailto:editor@lataheagle.com"><mailto:editor@lataheagle.com></a> <BR>
<BR>
<B>To:</B> vision2020@moscow.com ; Tom Hansen <a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com"><mailto:thansen@moscow.com></a> <BR>
<BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:33 AM<BR>
<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><I>"They argue that voters alone did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change."<BR>
</I> <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
THAT is one scary sentence.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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--------------------------------------------------<BR>
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com><BR>
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:24 AM<BR>
To: <vision2020@moscow.com><BR>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] California Supreme Court to Take Up Gay Marriage<BR>
<BR>
>>From today's (November 20, 2008) Spokesman Review -<BR>
> <BR>
> ---------------------------------------------------------<BR>
> <BR>
> California Supreme Court to hear cases on gay marriage ban <BR>
> Lisa Leff <BR>
> Associated Press<BR>
> November 20, 2008<BR>
> <BR>
> SAN FRANCISCO - California's highest court agreed Wednesday to hear <BR>
> several legal challenges to the state's new ban on same-sex marriage but <BR>
> refused to allow gay couples to resume marrying before it rules.<BR>
> <BR>
> The California Supreme Court accepted three lawsuits seeking to nullify <BR>
> Proposition 8, a voter-approved constitutional amendment that overruled <BR>
> the court's decision in May that legalized gay marriage.<BR>
> <BR>
> All three cases claim the measure abridges the civil rights of a <BR>
> vulnerable minority group. They argue that voters alone did not have the <BR>
> authority to enact such a significant constitutional change.<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> As is its custom when it takes up cases, the court elaborated little. <BR>
> However, the justices did say they want to address what effect, if any, a <BR>
> ruling upholding the amendment would have on the estimated 18,000 same-sex <BR>
> marriages that were sanctioned in California before Election Day.<BR>
> <BR>
> Gay rights groups and local governments petitioning to overturn the ban <BR>
> were joined by the measure's sponsors and Attorney General Jerry Brown in <BR>
> urging the Supreme Court to consider whether Proposition 8 passes legal <BR>
> muster.<BR>
> <BR>
> The initiative's opponents had also asked the court to grant a stay of the <BR>
> measure, which would have allowed gay marriages to begin again while the <BR>
> justices considered the cases. The court denied that request.<BR>
> <BR>
> The justices directed Brown and lawyers for the Yes on 8 campaign to <BR>
> submit arguments by Dec. 19 on why the ballot initiative should not be <BR>
> nullified. It said lawyers for the plaintiffs, who include same-sex <BR>
> couples who did not wed before the election, must respond before Jan. 5.<BR>
> <BR>
> Oral arguments could be scheduled as early as March, according to court <BR>
> spokeswoman Lynn Holton.<BR>
> <BR>
> ---------------------------------------------------------<BR>
> <BR>
> Seeya round town, Moscow.<BR>
> <BR>
> Tom Hansen<BR>
> Moscow, Idaho<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
>> Tom Hansen wrote:<BR>
>> > >From the Associated Press -<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y1axGO8iAE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y1axGO8iAE</a><BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > Seeya round town, Moscow.<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > Tom Hansen<BR>
>> > Moscow, Idaho<BR>
>> > <BR>
>> > "We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The <BR>
> college <BR>
>> > students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > - Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > ---------------------------------------------<BR>
>> > This message was sent by First Step Internet.<BR>
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>> > <a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a><BR>
>> > =======================================================<BR>
>> ><BR>
>> ><BR>
>> > <BR>
>> <BR>
>> <BR>
>> -- <BR>
>> Windows, OSX, or Linux is the same choice as:<BR>
>> McDonalds, Burger King, or a (real) Co-Op.<BR>
>> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> ---------------------------------------------<BR>
> This message was sent by First Step Internet.<BR>
> <a href="http://www.fsr.com/">http://www.fsr.com/</a><BR>
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> <BR>
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> <a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a><BR>
> =======================================================<BR>
Kai Eiselein<BR>
Editor, Latah Eagle<BR>
<BR>
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