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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19655
[Civil]
Date Posted:
5/7/2008
6:35:27 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 5,461
RSS: 14,266
Comments: 16
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Mich. High Court Says Gay Partners Can't Get Health Benefits
Author: David Eggert, AP Source: Google
Title: MICH. HIGH COURT SAYS GAY PARTNERS CAN'T GET HEALTH BENEFITS
Local governments and state universities in Michigan can't offer health insurance to the partners of gay workers, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The court ruled 5-2 that Michigan's 2004 ban against gay marriage also blocks domestic-partner policies affecting gay employees at the University of Michigan and other public-sector employers.
The decision affirms a February 2007 appeals court ruling.
Up to 20 public universities, community colleges, school districts and local governments in Michigan have benefit policies covering at least 375 gay couples. After the appeals court ruled, universities and local governments rewrote their policies to try to comply with the gay marriage ban — so the effect of Wednesday's decision is unclear.
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Community Thoughts: There are 16 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| ??? | May 10th. at 11:16:18 pm EDT
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me
But what can be done? Contact my local Representatives? They represent whichever group they feel will get them re-elected. As it stands right now, it would take a drastic social overhaul to poplularize homosexual marriage. What if we got some on-line petition going? Or, maybe, a true info campaign to let people know of the plight of these our fellow human beings? Not only is this a plight, but it is in fact a blight on the whole concept of "freedom and justice for ALL" that we seem to try to embody.
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| No Surprises Here | May 10th. at 5:39:40 pm EDT
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Rev. Velvet Michael (Mesa, Arizona) - Email Me
This really isn't too surprising,coming from this state. I was born and lived most of my life in Michigan, and thankfully finally got the hell out of there 8 years ago. The whole state is verging on the borer of bankruptcy, unemployment rates are through the roof, they don't call it the "Welfare State" for nothing folks. It is unfortunate that so many individuals there feel they have the right to dictate how you live and who you live with. As my husband keeps saying, "Its too bad we have to wait for all the old, narrow minded bigots to die, before true changes can be made." That statement doesn't just apply to MI, but to our entire country, and sad to say he is right. There are very few true changes occurring in this world today, just rewording of the same old stuff. Its a sad state of affairs when people can not allow others to live in happiness. Marriage isn't about laws, it's about love, joy and happiness. A giving and sharing of ones self. The government needs to step back from peoples lives. Doesn't the Declaration of Independence state:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Nuff said
Brightest Blessings
StormRavn
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| ... | May 9th. at 8:37:09 pm EDT
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Blade (Salem, Illinois) - Email Me
we are no longer the land of the free. in truth we never have been. for every right won , three more are lost. : (
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| Inequality Should Not Exist In A True Democracy | May 8th. at 2:26:12 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Freedom for a few is not freedom for all. And Marriage is not the only contract that requires health insurance and other necessities for two partners. There are some businesses that may have partners who may require the same benefits.
Marriage is becoming more of an onus these days, not only is it too expensive in some cases, it is fast becoming a marker for true inequality for those seeking lasting partnerships of any other kind.
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| How Horrible... | May 8th. at 12:12:36 pm EDT
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Ezri (Centennial, Colorado) - Email Me
This is heartbreaking. I don't really have anything intelligent or snarky to add.. This just makes me increadibly sad.
How can we say we're fighting for the freedom of people in other countries, when our own citizens don't have those freedoms?
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| And If Memory Serves | May 8th. at 11:21:34 am EDT
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booley (Saint Louis, Missouri) - Email Me
This was the sort of thing that advocates of the marriage ban said wouldn't happen.
"Oh don't worry. We just want to "protect" marriage. gays wont' lose anything they already have!"
Of course, the Religious wrong hate domestic partnerships as much as they do gay marriage. Anything that makes gay people more equal under the law is bad in thier eyes.
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| SIGH | May 8th. at 9:05:48 am EDT
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Lothar28 (Wakefield, Rhode Island) - Email Me
I realy can't understand the narrow minds of some of these high courts. To reserve benefits of any kind to a select few is wrong. If two people of any sexual preference find happiness and love with each other good for them. To say if it isn't a heterosexual relationship you will be treated differently is disgusting. I hope someday this society will wake up and join the human race. Enough "conservitive" B.S. lets all grow up.
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| I Just Find It All So Sad | May 8th. at 3:56:23 am EDT
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Errapel (Lowestoft, England) - Email Me
I mean the closest we get to gay marriage over here is a 'civil union' which is basicaly marriage without the name. I just fail to understand why there should be a problem at all. If you dont want a gay marriage dont have one. I hardly see gay couples tearing down the fabric of society.
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| One Day... | May 8th. at 1:51:34 am EDT
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me
I hope such laws will be looked upon like the "blue book" laws are now, antiquated and unusable. Within a generation or so the people used to accepting and hearing about "gay marriages" will be the ones in power The demand for equality will then not fall upon plugged ears ("La, La, I can't hear you....") .
I've often stated that legal marriage is no more than a way for government to get into something they have no right getting into. Legal marriage is, to me, nothing more than a contract between consenting people to stay together for all the legal goodies they get. That differs and often springs from true marriage, which is the same agreement between consenting people, but with or without the paperwork of legal marriage.
This being the case, let the homosexuals marry. And don't feed me this BS line about rewarding and preserving the sanctity of traditional marriage. If that was the real case here, there would be no concept of divorce. No, people don't want homosexuals to marry because it is such a foreign and adhorent lifestyle choice to them that they wish to punish those who choose it.
Read the story about the lady who, with her husband, initiated the downfall of laws forbidding interracial marriages. I'd bet that if she was one of our ages now, she'd want gays to be able to marry.
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| A Shame... | May 7th. at 10:46:45 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Because a union is a union, whether it be between a man and woman--or otherwise.
To deny gays such rights is narrow minded and ridiculous.
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| Disgusting....... | May 7th. at 9:09:53 pm EDT
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Karl (Detroit Metro, Michigan) - Email Me
.....but I’m not surprised by it either.
Personally, I reserve the word ‘marriage’ to refer to a heterosexual union. However, IMO, it shouldn’t matter if it’s a heterosexual union, a gay union, or a lesbian union. A life partner is a life partner, and any of these three differing types of life-partner arrangements should have equality when it comes to eligibility for benefits for their partners.
Of course, when one has religio-statists/fascists in control, who are under the illusion that they have the right to foist their fable-based dogmatic fabrications on the entire populace, the only “equality” one can expect is that of belonging to the approved religionist herd and its controlling hierocracy.
The Founding Fathers set up this Constitutionally Limited Republic as a model for Freedom, Liberty and Equality under the law, and to escape from the tyranny and bvllsh!t of the church-state of England at that time. No nation or state will go down the toilet faster than when secular government is infiltrated/taken over by deluded religionist fanatics. We must see to it that the Constitution is preserved, along with the Governmental Principles that the Founding Fathers envisioned.
The THEOCRACYWATCH website: ( [Web LINK] )
K
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| Not Surprising | May 7th. at 7:55:48 pm EDT
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Just A Wolf (Seward, Michigan) - Email Me
This is not surprising coming from the Michigan Supreme Court. No wonder this state is taking the downward spiral in the toilet.
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| How Special. | May 7th. at 7:53:26 pm EDT
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NightLad (Toronto, Ontario) - Email Me
>>>“The voter-approved law, which passed 59 percent to 41 percent, says the union between a man and woman is the only agreement recognized as a marriage "or similar union for any purpose."”
This is why I thank the Goddess that I live in a nation where “voter driven initiatives” do not exist. I can think of little else more damaging and redundant to the promise of Freedom & Equality than a system wherein a Majority can legally enforce its private interests and religious beliefs on a minority.
I’m not surprised by the ruling of the court in this matter. I'm only surprised that the court chose to hear the case in the first place! In the majority of these cases, the higher courts simply ‘refuse’ to hear them. Judges fear public reaction too, especially in the totalitarian environment of the US these days, and making rulings that go against status quo isn’t good for ones career.
There is a lot more to this than a 5-2 ruling.
I’ll leave you with a poem on the topic;
Special...
I want to be accepted as a human being... just for who I am.
Is that a Special right?
I want to be able to hold the hand of the one I love and not feel disgust from those around me.
Is that a Special right?
I want to live a life doing all the little daily things you do and not be shunned or hated.
Is that a Special right?
I want to be around children and not be mistrusted.
Is that a Special right?
I want to live my life in peace and not fear for my safety.
Is that a Special right?
I want to live with the one I Love.
Is that a Special right?
I want to worship God in the church of my choice.
Is that a Special right?
I just want to be me.
Is that a Special right?
Yes, they are special rights... because I don't have them.
- Jim Swanson
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| Welcome To The Conservative Era | May 7th. at 7:31:48 pm EDT
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Bloodstone (West Palm Beach, Florida) - Email Me
Hatred, ignorance and stupidity are alive and well. What century are we in again?
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