Editorial: Vote ‘no’ on both amendments
October 25, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Worthington Daily Globe
In the 155 years since the state of Minnesota’s constitution was adopted, changes have generally few and far between. There’s a reason for this. Continue Reading
I think it is a good thing our legislators are letting the people do their job. I’m sure we can do a much better job. The alternative is some judges deciding and it sure shouldn’t be their job and has been a disaster in other places. These are important issues that will affect your children greatly. Vote your heart and mind. By all means do not let any Editorial influence your vote. I hope they bring many other issues to the vote. We could get it done faster and have better laws more suited to the people relatively void of special interests and lobbyist.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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“We could get it done faster and have better laws more suited to the people relatively void of special interests and lobbyist.” “I’m sure we can do a much better job.”
Nonsense! YOU get your chance to vote every two or four years! The legislature – which “we the people” elected – votes a helluva lot more often than that! Or can issues – large and small – just wait 2 or 4 years for a decision?
Or are you proposing that we just storm the Capitol and take it over? Do you think we’ll all fit in the Rotunda?
How about FORCING the legislature to do THEIR job? And then you could focus on the one that puts food on your table.
It’s interesting how you tell people now NOT to let an editorial influence their opinion — unless, that is, you happen to agree with it! In that case, they’d be brilliant. I applaud the Globe for taking a rational, pragmatic view of how the MN Constitution should work, devoid of partisanship.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Maybe deano is suggesting that every citizen should get the legislation in the mail so they can read it, vote on it, then QUICKLY mail it back? That sounds really efficient, doesn’t it? The USPS will be very happy for the business.
OR, as I said, we could just kick the legislators in the backside and tell them to focus on issues that will truly affect the quality of life here in MN and stop wasting time and $$$ on things that don’t!
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I think this characterization of “letting the electorate do the job” of the legislators is very telling. Why send them to Saint Paul in the first place?? My biggest concern is the manner in which both of these issues are being characterized in the media. It’s no wonder that people don’t understand what they’re voting for. Finally, the amount of money involved in this entire thing would be enough to keep most of our food shelves running for a very long time. Shame on all of us for that!!!
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Anytime a legislature offers the idea of an Amendment( either at federal or state) and its not to increase any American rights, then they have said that they have failed as a represenative of the electorate and do not trust the 3 branches of government. Amendments are very serious matters and shouldn’t be used lightly. They don’t just have the ability to change the current laws, but will impact the future laws of generations. If you don’t believe gay marriage is right then fine, don’t vote for a law that would ok it. But leave the amendments out of it. Let our children and grandchildren THINK about the issue too, and make their own mind up once they can make the laws.
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Yes, that’s what I am doing by voting yes. I am doing it for my children and grandchildren. I agree with deano, let the people decide. I wish the people would have had the chance to vote on obamacare so I could choose for myself what kind of healthcare I want.
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loua – you pay elected officials lots of money to represent you, in St Paul and in DC. If you’re not happy with the decisions they make, then tell THEM. Vote them out of office.
“Let the people decide.” Well, why not let your children and grandchildren decide? They may not want you to speak for them.
Merc makes lots of sense and he has a very solid understanding of constitutional law and its purpose. Deano’s “solutions” are not workable. You might have the time to read, vote on and mail back every piece of legislation. I don’t.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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This is about increasing rights. My Right To Be Free Of Illegal Voting And Of Gay Marriage.
It is true that they are saying that they have failed as a represenative of the electorate and do not trust the 3 branches of government and they are right! They can’t get it done, at least not in a manner that will actually reflect the true majority. A majority of either party in the legislature doesn’t mean it will reflect the majority and the judge option certainly doesn’t. Any other way it would turn into another whoever throws the most money at it issue again. Best to let the people decide it, if it is really important and applies to all. There are other issues out there that have been going on for years that need to be settled in the same manner…
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“This is about increasing rights. My Right To Be Free Of Illegal Voting And Of Gay Marriage”. Just cerious, but where in the Constitution are those rights listed? You do know that you can’t gain a right if it takes rights away from others (regardless of majority rule)?
I can tell you that voting id law (which this article isn’t about) violates the 24th amendment of a poll tax and that gay marriage is under the equal protection clause of the 14th.
Please explain why we need an Amendment for something that is currently not legal. Do you feel that this is a waste of time, money, and energy to add such a proposal to our vote if it changes nothing from our current situation? Should we add “marijuana is illegal” to our state Constituion next?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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“voting id law (which this article isn’t about)” check the title and forget the marijuana
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Iowa voters oust justices who made same-sex marriage legal
“The court legislated from the bench … they governed from the bench … and, they even attempted to amend our constitution from the bench as they declared Iowa a ‘Same Sex’ marriage state. This is not their role. The Legislature makes the law. The Governor executes the law. And, only ‘we the people’ can amend our constitution.”
This might be why Minnesota is doing it the way they are.
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Who are you quoting? From what source too.
You seem to forget that the Judiciary branch is to make sure that the laws are Constitutional and do not violate others rights. Just because Congress, or even the public, pass a law doesn’t mean that it should stand. Will of the majority can not violate the rights of the minority. Judges make sure that doesn’t happen. Checks and balance in our system.
“All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possesses their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.” Thomas Jefferson 1st Inaugural Address
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Just googke up Iowa Same Sex Law. You will soon see how happy the people are there. They have thrown out some of the judges and are working on getting a amendment of their own so as the bums can’t do that again!
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Google works for all sides! Sorry, deano, but you really have to tell the whole story. Here’s a poll conducted in Iowa on October 1, 2012, which shows that Iowans WANT to retain Justice Wiggins by 49-41%. That opinion is FAR ahead of what it was 2 years ago when the “bums”, as you so respectfully call them, were removed. So, deano, to use your words, we can see “how happy the people are there”. Anything can happen, but it’s not as bleak as you paint it.
http://www.press-citizen.com/article/D2/20121001/NEWS09/310010024/Poll-Nearly-half-Iowans-would-retain-same-sex-marriage-justice-Wiggins
And, Merc, just to help you out, since deano won’t… the source of his “quote” was a letter to the editor on 10/22/12 from one Randy Davis of Ottumwa, voicing his opposition to the judge. Google is a marvelous thing, isn’t it?
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Google is nice, but far too often people use the first thing that shows up and not really evaluate the information.I’m glad you could find the quote. Deano doesn’t know that saying “google it” isn’t a valid way to give a source.
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