Congrats U.S. Gays Supremes rule for marriage equality

[Iamwhomiam]

I understand better now what you were getting at, Nordic and certainly agree with you in that it isn't going to change haters minds. But no law protects us, they only allow us to seek legal redress for illegal acts against us or whatever. Lip service to propagate the illusion of 'Freedom.' You'll be free as long as you believe you're free. You'll believe Justice exists until you get screwed after your tried out demonstrating your "freedom" to the cop who stopped you for speeding when you were going 25, which is usually the only kind of occasion white people interact with law enforcement.

But I disagree with this, "Of all the things that are actually pushing us to the edge of the abyss, this isn't one of them."

It's one of many. Gay rights, Abortion, Gun Control, Affordable Care Act and the rebel flag, which many see as a humiliating insult to their heritage. The loss of States' Rights to self govern. Pushing a certain some to the edge, not us though, hopefully. Just the beginning :The Cracker Heard 'Round the World. These mass murders have mostly been committed by youths or young adults. I sense it won't be long before some "adult" good ol' boys decide to show the kids how a "real man" does it.

With Beck, Rush and all the rest cheering them on, giving them the courage to act on their convictions.

Indeed we do, Luther, far too few resources. I agree with your last line, but we still need far more affordable housing and Red Lining seems to have quietly resurfaced.
With regard to incarceration and recidivism, Albany just became the 3rd US city to institute the LEAD program; Baltimore and Seattle are the other two. Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion G**gle for more about this excellent approach.

It does seem there was a bit of misogynistic flavor to Roof's choice of victims, too, SonicG.

[82_28]

While totally FOR all of this, they sure had the White House wired up for the anticipated display of casting a rainbow upon the whitehouse. You can't just throw those lights out there on the exact day of this unless it was preordained from the outset.

EDIT:

I'm probably wrong possibly. It was just a matter of changing the bulbs as the WH is always lit up. But still.

[Nordic]

While totally FOR all of this, they sure had the White House wired up for the anticipated display of casting a rainbow upon the whitehouse. You can't just throw those lights out there on the exact day of this unless it was preordained from the outset.

EDIT:

I'm probably wrong possibly. It was just a matter of changing the bulbs as the WH is always lit up. But still.

Right when the ruling came in they sent the intern over to Home Depot for some multicolored lights. I don't think so. It looks like a professional job and some of those colors are hard to find. Also they're usually not any old light bulbs that light up something like the White House. Usually pretty specialized architectural lighting. I contend this was planned in advance.

[Nordic]

To elaborate my point and I apologize if I'm getting annoying. (I totally angered a FB acquaintance or 2 trying to articulate this):

We're headed toward a mass extinction. Control of the government was just handed over, secretly, to a new corporate entity, basically the "one world government" people have warned us about. Corporate/military rule is the New Way. We all may be basically enslaved by this, not unlike workers in China who make slave wages and are drenched in pollution and where they have to put suicide nets outside factory windows. We can watch the world die from our corporate jail cells. But gays can marry!! Whoppeeee!!!

It's party decorations on the Titanic.

And everybody's dancing.

[zangtang]

drunk - and on the edge of the roof.

[82_28]

While totally FOR all of this, they sure had the White House wired up for the anticipated display of casting a rainbow upon the whitehouse. You can't just throw those lights out there on the exact day of this unless it was preordained from the outset.

EDIT:

I'm probably wrong possibly. It was just a matter of changing the bulbs as the WH is always lit up. But still.

Right when the ruling came in they sent the intern over to Home Depot for some multicolored lights. I don't think so. It looks like a professional job and some of those colors are hard to find. Also they're usually not any old light bulbs that light up something like the White House. Usually pretty specialized architectural lighting. I contend this was planned in advance.

If they wanted it to pass muster as far as being believable you would have waited about a week or so and then lit it up.

[Iamwhomiam]

You know, they probably could display any color combination they chose to with a push of a button and could probably even put on a show with dancing changing patterns. It is indeed architectural lighting, well done.

[8bitagent]

Could not be more excited, proud, etc. Yes, I know wanted to interrupt the celebration with genuine valid concerns about other pressing issues, and boy do I still have criticisms for the White House...however
this is their day/weekend, and people should join in the celebrations. I'm very glad to see rainbows every which way online, projected onto monuments and buildings, etc.

It boils my blood to see "anti war/anti big brother" people with a lot of influence(Rand Paul, various talk show hosts) etc talk about things I agree with and then go off on this bizarre anti-gay rants.

I even saw some of my friends on the far left, which I kind of am apart of, say 'what about black or trans rights, or the drone issue or whatever...and I agree, but the SCOTUS decision I feel for America on this weekend,
is something everyone should have fun in celebrating. As much as I complain about millennials, modern trends, society, etc I am very happy this happened and it's being embraced by the majority.

[8bitagent]

1. Who cares if they had color gels set up at the White House. Hell it's been floating for months the Supreme Court in late June would federally legalize same sex marriage
I mean yeah I've openly said I felt FDR signed into law some civil rights to get heat off his back so he could further the US into Vietnam, but civil rights victories are victories.
I just can't be cynical about this and recognize it as extremely historical. I see both the power of the Charleston Emanuel church funeral and the SCOTUS decision very
good energy and victories for American society.

2. Absolutely this week has not been to kind for the gun obsessed conservative right wing. And I've no doubt they are being stirred and marginalized like a hornets nest.
The media still perpetuates the notion that "ISIS inspired terrorism" is the biggest threat...it's still right wing terrorism. I absolutely believe that there is a cabal of powerful
men, a contingent within, that wants to see things come to a boiling point. We're seeing Obama go from 'lame duck' to presiding over historic moments...and
I'm just a bit concerned.

[IanEye]

LEDs help building managers take part in these types of events because they are easily programmed to turn a certain color or pattern. Here’s a sampling of the buildings and landmarks taking part in many of the campaigns worldwide, many of which are lit up with LEDs.

-

Washington, DC — President Barack Obama declared the month of October to be National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a presidential proclamation and turned the White House pink. The White House has become pink since 2009 for the yearly October event.

[82_28]

LEDs help building managers take part in these types of events because they are easily programmed to turn a certain color or pattern. Here’s a sampling of the buildings and landmarks taking part in many of the campaigns worldwide, many of which are lit up with LEDs.

-

Washington, DC — President Barack Obama declared the month of October to be National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a presidential proclamation and turned the White House pink. The White House has become pink since 2009 for the yearly October event.

Well that then settles it. Totally possible. Thanks Ian.

[IanEye]

The only reason I really know anything about it is because some people I knew back when I was a theater major went on to have careers in industrial lighting design (not to be confused with ILM).

[slomo]

This is good.

But the cynic in me says they give us this, and eventually legal weed, in exchange for an otherwise fascist jackboot in our collective face.

But I'm happy for the gay people. I was going to say "that I know" but I'm happy for all of them.

I am bothered by the level of celebration given this. It's kind of depressing, like watching prisoners cheering over being handed an extra helping of dessert. It doesn't change the fact that we're fucked.

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

I'm happy about the ruling (and intend to make use of it some time in the next 18 months, as my partner and I have yet to set a specific date due to some timing issues). However, I agree with you. "Prisoners cheering over being handed an extra helping of dessert," indeed.

And yes, the timing of the ruling (while TPP is racing forward) is suspicious, or at least unfortunate.

[seemslikeadream]

so what was the agenda when they gave blacks their civil rights

or women the right to vote....my own grandmother couldn't vote

[slomo]

The only reason I really know anything about it is because some people I knew back when I was a theater major went on to have careers in industrial lighting design (not to be confused with ILM).

Theater major, you say? Hmmmmmm....

I'll weigh in with a few thoughts, since nobody else who is gay (that I know of anyway) has commented in this thread at this point.

1: While this ruling is indeed symbolic and no anti-discrimination laws have ever directly changed individual opinions on homosexuality, it's pretty amazing to me that a majority (or at least a very substantial minority) of Americans favor same-sex marriage to the degree that the nation is celebrating over this ruling. My entire Facebook news feed has lit up with rainbow profiles - to a very annoying degree - and most of my FB friends are not gay. Many of the rainbow profiles are straight folks. I've been out for 30 years, I remember what it was like in the 80s, and I don't think I ever could have predicted this back then. (As an aside, here's an interesting essay that offers a theory on how such sea-changes occur: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2015/05/07/we ... acredness/ )

2. What Nordic said above: while this may or may not have been planned, it is certainly fortunate to our corporate overlords that the nation has been busy celebrating over a relatively pointless matter (in the grand scheme of things that affect the survival of global human civilization) while TPP gets pushed through.

3. I almost never point this out in polite social circles, but gays cannot meaningfully exist as a collective force without complex civilization that produces the kind of conurbation necessary for gay people to congregate. That means we could not exist before 300 years ago, and we will not exist if global civilization fails. If you tend towards the view that global civilization is killing the planet, then you are effectively saying that the phenomenon of gay culture and gay marriage arises from the same forces that are destroying us. It's hard to feel good about that.

Anyway, my 2c. I can't fix global civilization, and I do love my partner quite a bit, so yes I'm getting married..