NY: welcome to the governor's chair, David Paterson

...thanks for the reports.

Remarkable. Lets see if his support carried forward.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 14:54:04 PM CDT

...but IRISH gays again kept out.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

---

by: Orion45 @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 14:56:49 PM CDT

A NYC issue

Mayor Bloomberg couldn't do anything except complain about the non inclusiveness of LGBT's. It's about the Irish Catholics who are in charge of commitee to organize the parade. Not sure the NY governor could do much either.  The Gay Pride parade is free to exclude anyone they wish from marching, not that we would do such a thing.

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by: Dunkindonuts @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:13:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

long-settled arguement.

the parade is a conducted by a private org, so by law they can keep out anyone they want.  just like the boy scouts.  it stinks, but it's the law.  i don't expect paterson to waste too much bully pulpit time on it.  lgbt-wise, his time is best spent moving the chess pieces in the legislature.  by what Pam has given us above, sounds like he's really good at it.

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:16:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's ridiculous when..

LGBT's can and do prominently participate in Dublin's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

About Half of the major figures in the Easter Rising  in 1916 or the political agaitation leading to it could not march in the St Pat's Parade in NYC and they are our heroes and the "fathers of the country"

Sir Roger Casement
Patrick Pearse.
Madeline FFrench Mullen(yes, with 2 F's)
Dr Kathleen Lynn
Eva Gore-Booth
Maud Gonne McBride


I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

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by: MauraHennessey @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 17:29:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Perfect Pitch

He set exactly the right tone with his speech and did a good job putting that mess behind them.

Never try to train a pig. It's a waste of time and it annoys the pig.

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by: cali_techie @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:00:12 PM CDT

Stretch

I support him and am glad he supports gay rights in New York State; however, I think he overstates the transition as being about "a government of laws, and not individuals."

This is a version of John Adams's famous phrase, "a government of laws and not men."  But Adams was setting up a distinction with the cruel, high-handed reign of George III.

Spitzer was no George III, and Paterson is unlikely to match the brilliance, erudition, and passion of our founding fathers, however good a governor he might become.  

Was this a sop to the moralists at the inauguration?

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:02:43 PM CDT

wow, are you cynical today!

i for one am pleased that he used that phrase.  i don't at all read it as a sop, but rather an assurance that the gov's office will be run cleanly and legally by paterson.  

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:19:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Cynical?

There was nothing cynical about it.

I just don't like seeing politicians of any kind getting grandiloquent.  I think his quote, or misquote, is out of proportion to what happened.

Spizer's errancy wasn't, after all, a monumental crisis oof malfeasance and law-breaking on the level of Watergate.  Paterson isn't Ford taking over from Nixon.  

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:56:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

well, i think you're over analyzing it.

i mean, give the guy his day in the sun.

but then again, maybe i'm not analyzing it enough.  would this have been a suitably mundane inaugural speech?  
"This transition today is another drop in the historical bucket.  None of us live by the same values that we profess.  We may have government of laws, but they are not equally applied to all individuals.  Don't expect much here, folks!"
;)

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 16:04:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Arguing ad absurdum

Your proposed speech is arguing ad absurdum.  I wasn't remotely saying he should be mundane.  I was objecting to his use of a famous line by John Adams, which seems completely disproportionate to the occasion since Afam used in it response to great tyranny. I would have felt the same if he had said his inauguration is about "a government for the people, of the people, by the people."

He sounds like he'll make a great governor--does that mean I can't criticize something he says, or is he off limits?

As for over-analyzing?  Given that he spoke to a group of politicians, and given that the John Adams miniseries is currently running and the line is used there, I think the reference wasn't accidental.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 16:26:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I owe you an apology, Lev.

I disagreed with your point and made a personal comment about you instead of just addressing the meat of the disagreement.  Sorry about that.  I meant to be playful, but inadvertently ended up making an ad hom attack.  Not at all how I prefer to honor the 1st day of the new governor of NY.  Sorry about that.

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 18:53:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thank you, Lurleen!

And again I say unto ye, Thanks.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 07:12:15 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I thought the same thing, Lev

So you couldn't possibly be over-analyzing it.  It was unnecessary and rather insulting to Spitzer, since no one ever suggested that Spitzer was trying to put himself above the law, he was just breaking it and hoping to not get caught.  But then again, Adams's words were "just words" so they can be used whenever.

But on the whole, I was moved by the speech and bet he'll be a great Governor.  Reading his wikipedia I learned that people couldn't understand why he would give up his more powerful position in the state Senate, where he would have become majority leader, to be Lieutenant Governor.  Perhaps this transition was planned from the beginning.

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by: Locke @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 12:25:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Glad I wasn't alone

Those words painted Spitzer and his actions in too dastardly a light, especially since Paterson was one of the few (perhaps only?) people to express sympathy not just for Spitzer's family, but Spitzer himself.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 21:17:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Congrats Gov. Paterson!

I look forward to seeing good things happening in NY.  I can't describe how thrilled I am that somewhere in this country we finally have a governor who has and will continue to emphasize the needs and legal struggles of handicapped people.  My heart is with you!

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by: Lurleen @ Mon Mar 17, 2008 at 15:22:26 PM CDT

America is Crazy

And now Paterson and his wife both tell the Daily News they had affairs?

http://www.comcast.net/news/ar...

Is this some new litmus test in American politics?  Unless it somehow affects policy or crucial decision-making, who cares?

(BTW, isn't adultery illegal in New York State?  Hasn't the new Gov. been forced by rumors in Albany to admit lawbreaking?)

 

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 07:16:28 AM CDT

adultery laws

are still on the book in 26 states, but they are almost never enforced.  in michigan,  adultery can be prosecuted as first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.

imo, heterosexuals better repeal these laws before a fundigelical gets into the governor's office and starts telling the AG to enforce them.  this happened a few years ago in MA with the antimiscagenation "1913 laws".  they are the reason out-of-stater same-sex couples can't marry in MA.  people scoff at moribund laws, but they can come back and bite, especially when a pol like romney is trying to make political points with the prude-ass constituency right before an election.

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by: Lurleen @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 11:22:05 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

It was Andrew Sullivan

who first brought that law to light, back before Goodridge.  He brought it up to counter the argument that allowing SSM in Massachusetts would cause lots of trouble in other states.  And it is kept there because it does slow the effect of couples going to other states and claiming to be married, thereby avoiding backlash before the election.  I predict it will be gone in December, just for the revenue it might bring.

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by: Locke @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 12:37:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Andrew Sullivan

may have been the first to bring it to light in the blogosphere, but dozens of lawyers were combing through the marriage laws of MA long before sullivan ever knew the name goodridge.

the law probably has prevented a few marriages from happening, but i wonder if it has really been that many.  i'm guessing that mainly what it has done is just divert them a bit to the north to canada.  

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by: Lurleen @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 16:41:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It sent us north

to Canada to get married, but that option is getting more difficult because of security concerns.

Makes you wonder who the government feels are the greater danger, Terrorits who have a way to get illegal paperwork easier than we can get legal documentation, or married Lesbians heading back to New York?

I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

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by: MauraHennessey @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 05:43:55 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Us, too

We got married in Stratford on our 21st anniversary of being together because it's been a 2nd home of sorts to us for over 20 years.

http://pageoneq.com/news/2005/...

We go tot the Stratford Festival every year (we're members), sometimes several years, and we've noticed the questions get more and more specific, like "What plays are you seeing?"

But I'm not sure what you mean about the option getting harder because of security concerns.  All one needs is a passport now, which isn't very difficult to obtain.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 07:21:02 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I know they're not enforced--

--bit Paterson specifically said that he didn't break any laws.

Strictly speaking, he did.

The laws are ridiculous, but they're on the books.

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 21:18:38 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

And I thought the same thing about that too

I think its part of the plan to de-monogomize marriage and to de-marriagize sex.

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by: Locke @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 12:30:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"the plan"?

by whom?

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by: Lurleen @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 12:34:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think Bertrand Russell

seriously

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by: Locke @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 12:38:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

1936

Our Sexual Ethics

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by: Locke @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 13:04:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Being pro-active

As we know there are people who will immediately start searching for the Pateron's skeletons. Adultery history now public knowledge = no fun for the "dirt" seekers.  

You can lead a fool to knowledge, but you can't make him think.  

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by: Dianne @ Tue Mar 18, 2008 at 18:35:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Those straight people!

They have so much trouble with fidelity, they give marriage a bad name.  

I once heard lesbian comic Lynn Lavner say, "You ever wonder why there's just a few mentions of same-sex stuff in the Hebrew Bible, and dozens and dozens of warnings about the kinds of straight sex to avoid?  That's because God knew you couldn't turn your back on straight people FOR A MINUTE!

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."  The Colbert Report

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by: Lev Raphael @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 07:24:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

not always easy.

Some women that I know have no idea of where they were born or one or the other parent's name.

Also, I know a number of women not born here, staying on visas.

Makes getting a passport or a visa into Canada more difficult

Up note:
We got married in Niagara-on-the Lake; we are George Bernard Shaw devotees.

I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

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by: MauraHennessey @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 17:57:42 PM CDT