Mike, check out wikipedia for some info. The answer is no, it's not against the law, but you can look it up for the particulars. I can't remember if we can post links, so I'm not going to. Just check out wikipedia dot com, click on the english choice then type 'sodomy laws' in the search field.
Anyway, should sodomy be a criteria for deteriming the issue of gay marriage? (I'm not saying *you* are making it a criteria. I have no idea why you were asking ....) Because if that's a concern for anti-gay marriage people, they might do well to find another arguement! Many gay couples don't perform sodomy. Lesbians, for example. And stats say around 70% of gay men don't perform sodomy. In fact, I'm sure, like many heterosexual couples, many homosexual couples don't have sex at all. Then there are all the heterosexual couples who participate in sodomy. I always found sodomy a strange reason to oppose, uh, gayness or gay marriage, because then whoever used that argument would have to, by their logic, agree that lesbians or gays not having anal sex were okay, and heterosexual people having anal sex are not okay. And *that* just doesn't make sense! :-)
Voting against gay marriages because of religious beliefs is also wrong, in my opinion. I don't care if someone is opposed to homosexuality. Fine, then get out there and preach about it. But it's not the government's or the people's place to force their religious laws on others. If there're any good non-religious reasons (based on facts) gays shouldn't get married, I'm all ears; I like to have all sides of the issue. But to make a law against something not inherently harmful for no other reason than because a religion speaks against it? Well, the same religion makes obesity a sin, why don't we outlaw that? I'm sure no Christian would appreciate it if Al-qaeda came here and insisted we follow their religious laws. We don't want to be a nation that does that, do we?
Mr. Evans,could it be possible that the higher level of violence/physical injury between homosexual couples (that you saw) is not because they are more violent, but that they are more evenly matched? There's not the intimidation factor a woman might feel opposing a man? Just a thought.
As an aside ....
It might behoove us as a society not to have a knee-jerk reaction on this issue or any other merely based on what we've been taught, but to go out and learn things for ourselves. Study other cultures, ancient history, religion, marriage, homo- hetero-sexuality and et cetera and find some of our own truths. Or at the very least, be aware of where our deep-seated beliefs came from. You might be surprised. I know I continually am! It's sad that so many Americans have no concept of anything outside our borders. Everything seems to be from the viewpoint of European American values as if we somehow, in the last 200 years, created the world and sexuality, marriage, religion and et cetera didn't exist until European Americans created them. I know some very intelligent people with lots of experience who still react to these issues as if we are God.
IMHO, no one is 'entitled' to anything, including life, liberty and/or the pursuit of happiness.
Those are just ideals granted by humans to other humans if they happen to be feeling benevolent. But *entitled*? Naw.
However, I'm open-minded! If someone can show me intrinsic proof of entitlement to anything, I'm willing to concede the point. :-)
And btw, I'm not just being negative and gloomy doomy! Believe me I'm very happy that I'm *allowed* to live, work, pursue happiness and enjoy a life with as much freedom as I need or want. Yeah me! And I wouldn’t be a happy camper if someone tried to change that state of being, either!
But on a more realistic note, I think everyone should contribute to society – one way or the other. I also think all are capable of contributing, they just don’t because they’ve been led to believe they are incapable of doing so and these days, people just don’t know how to think of solutions to their problems. (On more than one occasion I’ve sat in a hair salon and listened to someone who is getting their hair done complain because they’re in debt and can’t seem to get out. Hello? Try doing your own hair! That $30 - $80 a month might be a good start! But you know, it simply will never occur to them that having their hair permed and coloured is a luxury, not a necessity.).
I think true love for your fellow humans is shown through allowing all people the pride of earning their own way and enjoying the empowerment of benefiting from a life lived well through thoughtful decisions.
debraC
P.S. I have never met a single person who was unemployed except through choice and/or attitude.
I wonder why the follow-up from the little girl about the Wilcox article was placed in the 'opinion' section instead of on the 'front page' or in the 'letters to the editor' section?
I would think the victims should also get front page attention.
I think he should have another chance. Just as soon as his victim(s) get their chance to not have been molested by him. I think that sounds fair.
And to the person who calls this a 'mistake' it is not. A mistake is writing the wrong figure in your cheque register or picking a can of beans that are 'salt free' when you meant to get the kind with salt added.
Preying on young children is premeditated, it is against the law, it is against the mores of our society, and he knew the consequences before he chose his actions. To make it worse, he should have been well aware of the damage his actions would cause.
When you add the fact that sexual predators do not rehabilitate, it's really hard to feel anything but repulsion for this man. And it's interesting to note the guy had all kinds of *excuses* for his criminal act. Even as he claims to know it was wrong, it was still all external circumstances which drove him to act. Riiiight.
27 September 2006 at 3:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
debrac (Debra Chatham) says…
Mike, check out wikipedia for some info. The answer is no, it's not against the law, but you can look it up for the particulars. I can't remember if we can post links, so I'm not going to. Just check out wikipedia dot com, click on the english choice then type 'sodomy laws' in the search field.
Anyway, should sodomy be a criteria for deteriming the issue of gay marriage? (I'm not saying *you* are making it a criteria. I have no idea why you were asking ....) Because if that's a concern for anti-gay marriage people, they might do well to find another arguement! Many gay couples don't perform sodomy. Lesbians, for example. And stats say around 70% of gay men don't perform sodomy. In fact, I'm sure, like many heterosexual couples, many homosexual couples don't have sex at all. Then there are all the heterosexual couples who participate in sodomy. I always found sodomy a strange reason to oppose, uh, gayness or gay marriage, because then whoever used that argument would have to, by their logic, agree that lesbians or gays not having anal sex were okay, and heterosexual people having anal sex are not okay. And *that* just doesn't make sense! :-)
Voting against gay marriages because of religious beliefs is also wrong, in my opinion. I don't care if someone is opposed to homosexuality. Fine, then get out there and preach about it. But it's not the government's or the people's place to force their religious laws on others. If there're any good non-religious reasons (based on facts) gays shouldn't get married, I'm all ears; I like to have all sides of the issue. But to make a law against something not inherently harmful for no other reason than because a religion speaks against it? Well, the same religion makes obesity a sin, why don't we outlaw that? I'm sure no Christian would appreciate it if Al-qaeda came here and insisted we follow their religious laws. We don't want to be a nation that does that, do we?
Debra
On Prop 107
27 September 2006 at 1:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
debrac (Debra Chatham) says…
Mr. Evans,could it be possible that the higher level of violence/physical injury between homosexual couples (that you saw) is not because they are more violent, but that they are more evenly matched? There's not the intimidation factor a woman might feel opposing a man? Just a thought.
As an aside ....
It might behoove us as a society not to have a knee-jerk reaction on this issue or any other merely based on what we've been taught, but to go out and learn things for ourselves. Study other cultures, ancient history, religion, marriage, homo- hetero-sexuality and et cetera and find some of our own truths. Or at the very least, be aware of where our deep-seated beliefs came from. You might be surprised. I know I continually am! It's sad that so many Americans have no concept of anything outside our borders. Everything seems to be from the viewpoint of European American values as if we somehow, in the last 200 years, created the world and sexuality, marriage, religion and et cetera didn't exist until European Americans created them. I know some very intelligent people with lots of experience who still react to these issues as if we are God.
Debra
On Prop 107
24 September 2005 at 1:31 p.m.
Suggest removal
debrac (Debra Chatham) says…
Since you asked ...
IMHO, no one is 'entitled' to anything, including life, liberty and/or the pursuit of happiness.
Those are just ideals granted by humans to other humans if they happen to be feeling benevolent. But *entitled*? Naw.
However, I'm open-minded! If someone can show me intrinsic proof of entitlement to anything, I'm willing to concede the point. :-)
And btw, I'm not just being negative and gloomy doomy! Believe me I'm very happy that I'm *allowed* to live, work, pursue happiness and enjoy a life with as much freedom as I need or want. Yeah me! And I wouldn’t be a happy camper if someone tried to change that state of being, either!
But on a more realistic note, I think everyone should contribute to society – one way or the other. I also think all are capable of contributing, they just don’t because they’ve been led to believe they are incapable of doing so and these days, people just don’t know how to think of solutions to their problems. (On more than one occasion I’ve sat in a hair salon and listened to someone who is getting their hair done complain because they’re in debt and can’t seem to get out. Hello? Try doing your own hair! That $30 - $80 a month might be a good start! But you know, it simply will never occur to them that having their hair permed and coloured is a luxury, not a necessity.).
I think true love for your fellow humans is shown through allowing all people the pride of earning their own way and enjoying the empowerment of benefiting from a life lived well through thoughtful decisions.
debraC
P.S. I have never met a single person who was unemployed except through choice and/or attitude.
On Are you entitled to a job?
23 September 2005 at 12:52 p.m.
Suggest removal
debrac (Debra Chatham) says…
I wonder why the follow-up from the little girl about the Wilcox article was placed in the 'opinion' section instead of on the 'front page' or in the 'letters to the editor' section?
I would think the victims should also get front page attention.
debraC
On The Roundup Story on the Ex-Sex Offender
16 September 2005 at 10:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
debrac (Debra Chatham) says…
I think he should have another chance. Just as soon as his victim(s) get their chance to not have been molested by him. I think that sounds fair.
And to the person who calls this a 'mistake' it is not. A mistake is writing the wrong figure in your cheque register or picking a can of beans that are 'salt free' when you meant to get the kind with salt added.
Preying on young children is premeditated, it is against the law, it is against the mores of our society, and he knew the consequences before he chose his actions. To make it worse, he should have been well aware of the damage his actions would cause.
When you add the fact that sexual predators do not rehabilitate, it's really hard to feel anything but repulsion for this man. And it's interesting to note the guy had all kinds of *excuses* for his criminal act. Even as he claims to know it was wrong, it was still all external circumstances which drove him to act. Riiiight.
debraC
On The Roundup Story on the Ex-Sex Offender