In the not-too-distant past, it was against the law in many states for people of different races to marry. Richard and Mildred Loving got married in Washington, DC in 1958 and returned to their hometown in Virginia as criminals.
The Lovings filed a suit challenging the law. After a nine-year battle, on June 12, 1967, the US Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case of Loving vs. Virginia that did away with the remaining miscegenation laws. The Loving Day project promotes the celebration of this milestone on or around June 12th. Link -via Drug Monkey
When they went to trial, the judge found them guilty and sentenced them to a jail term of one to three years. However, the judge told the Lovings that he would suspend the sentence if they agreed to leave Virginia for a period of twenty five years. Given the choice between imprisonment and banishment, they chose banishment. The Lovings moved to Washington, DC.
The Lovings filed a suit challenging the law. After a nine-year battle, on June 12, 1967, the US Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case of Loving vs. Virginia that did away with the remaining miscegenation laws. The Loving Day project promotes the celebration of this milestone on or around June 12th. Link -via Drug Monkey
Ignorant people always seem to be able to pass retarded laws to inflict their stupidity upon the world.
Another lame & stupid law, which places more importance on cultural constructs with little or no basis in reality (religion, "race") than those constructs warrant. If the Israeli government wants to drag Judaism through the mud, permit me to cite the Book of Proverbs as I challenge the law: "Criticize a fool, and he will hate you; criticize a wise man, and he will thank you." Here's hoping that the law will be discarded, rather than defended by idiots.
Love is regarded as supreme. Legend has it that a rabbinical council met to decide which books belonged in the Torah and which should be removed. The Song of Solomon was the subject of much debate. Its dubious pedigree and "racy" subject matter (It's a love poem) nearly doomed it, until a rabbi whose opinion the others all respected finally spoke up. "The whole of Creation," he said, "is not worth the day the Song of Solomon was given to us." The book stayed in, and it is a delightful hymn to love.
I found it odd that I am reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, and there's a similar scene depicted in the 12th century where someone who was guilty in the eyes of the church had to be banished in order to make things right.
The problem with the law - besides the discrimination aspect, is that some people can't necessarily "prove" their Jewishness (which for some reason, only flows through a maternal line).
June 10th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I just can’t get my head round the idea that such law would exist - how could anyone ever have thought they were right?"
"HollywoodBob
June 10th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Shouldn’t be too hard to understand, we hear the exact same arguments against gay marriage today."
It really puts the whole matter of gay marriage into perspective, doesn't it?
By the reasoning cited by Warren in the Loving opinion, renders the purpose of the fundamental right of marriage worthless. If you can't choose your partner, your right to pursue happiness is abridged. Why shouldn't someone be allowed to marry the person they love, want to spend the rest of their lives with, if they happen to be of the same sex? There truly is no argument against it once religious "ideals" and "values" are taken out of the debate.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/28417/Most-Americans-Approve-Interracial-Marriages.aspx
And yet, he's against gay marriage himself.
Back during my photographer days, I did a lesbian wedding. There was great confusion as everyone tried to line up the bridal party by gender for pictures... "Line up boy-girl, boy-girl!", as everyone swirled around aimlessly.
Finally I stepped in and bellowed, "Line up! Tuxedo-dress, tuxedo-dress!", and the couples fell neatly into place for my photos.