Amendment One

Author's note: Thank you to Pam Spaulding from Pam's House Blend for helping spread the word about the LTE campaign tool. Cross-posted from Democratic Muse.

At no time in history has denying basic freedoms stood on the side of what is right and just. Amendment One will potentially deny loving and committed unmarried couples the freedom to protect their families through healthcare benefits, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. There are very few freedoms more basic than protecting those you love.

And it's a good one.

Good stuff from NCCJTriad

With only 2.5 weeks left until voting begins, this week's marriage news watch is heavily focused on North Carolina. It's also the last day of the money bomb. Make it count!

Really interesting article in the News&Observer Craig Jarvis does a good job pointing out just how murky voter approval/disapproval is for A1 mostly due to a lack of understanding.

"...7 percent of those surveyed thought it would legalize gay marriage, instead of the opposite."
"...only about one-third of the respondents actually know what the amendment would do."
"The PPP poll showed 28 percent of voters think the amendment only bans gay marriage."
"Thirty-four percent acknowledged that they really don’t know what it means."

It is bad enough that the NC Legislature is trying to write discrimination into our state constitution,
it is bad enough they are using the constitution to infringe on the rights of part of the population,
it is bad enough they are insulting citizens of a "free" society by requiring further permission to form unions of love and affection;

Russell Robinson III, a prominent lawyer and conservative in Charlotte writes against Amendment One in yesterday's Charlotte Observer.

The proposed amendment is so poorly worded and so unnecessary that its adoption would actually increase the probability of a federal court invalidating its ban on same-sex marriage. This is exactly the opposite of the result intended by the amendment’s proposers.

He lays out even more unintended consequences of Amendment One -- for the opponents of gay marriage. Because of the vague language used in the NC Amendment, he writes:

That language in the recent California case describes the proposed amendment to our North Carolina constitution so well that it strongly invites the filing of a federal court action in North Carolina to invalidate our similar constitutional amendment as well. In fact, it might make North Carolina the best state in which to bring such an action.

Emphasis mine in both quotes.

And he writes correctly. Some lawyer will become very famous getting this Amendment overturned in federal court should it pass on May 8.

h/t Watauga Watch

If you've read BlueNC in the month, you know the Young Democrats of North Carolina are having a convention this week. What you may not have heard about are the two empowering events that begin and end the convention.

On Friday March 30, the YDNC Women's Caucus concludes its celebration of Women's History Month with the Young Democrats of North Carolina Women's Caucus Legacy Reception, honoring four Democratic Women including Charlotte's very own Susan Burgess & Samara Foxx. On Sunday April 1, our convention weekend concludes with a Day of Action Against the Constitutional Amendment (aka Amendment 1).

Here's this week's installment of Marriage News Watch. It highlights some scary poll numbers for NC, but also highlights help from unlikely places. Only 3 weeks until early voting starts. Support Protect NC Families money bomb happening this week only. We've got to get onto the air to change those numbers.

Former Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr, refugee from the Pope Empire, finally adds his voice to those opposing Amendment One. It would bave been nice if he had stepped into the fray back when his pals were cooking up this scheme in the first place.

“Any provision that has to be put into the ‘miscellaneous’ section of the constitution immediately raises questions about whether it should be in the state constitution,” he said. “It’s probably not a provision that ought to be in.”

Probably?

At the LPNC convention in Durham, NC on Sunday March 24, a letter from former Governor of New Mexico and current candidate for the LP Presidential nomination Gary Johnson was read by Tim Doran, his State Director for North Carolina. In the letter he talked about the importance of North Carolina and its fight against Amendment One,(emphasis mine)