Kenosha News. July 24, 2022.
Editorial: Wisconsin should codify same-sex marriage, not wait for a Supreme Court decision
It should be no surprise to anyone who lives in the U.S. for more than a few years that what are considered “rights” can be changed. Our Constitution was written that way: to be amended, time and again.
It’s been officially amended 27 times so far. That fact might actually anger some of the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson wanted the Constitution to be scrapped and rewritten every two decades; the author of the Declaration never wanted the country’s founding documents to be treated as sacred. Twenty-seven amendments would be palsy in his eyes.
The laws of this country are incredibly malleable.
This became clear when the Supreme Court flipped Roe v. Wade.
Abortion was largely illegal before 1973, largely legal between 1973 and 2022, and up to the states since June 24, 2022.
That’s not the issue we’re weighing in on today.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas thinks the argument that the 14th Amendment’s right to privacy being used to legalize things like abortion and gay marriage is flimsy.
Section 1 of the amendment, which was passed after the Civil War in order to give rights to freed slaves, states: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
None of us are legal experts. We cannot speak to if that argument is flimsy or not. What we do know is that that argument has been used successfully to legalize abortion via Roe v. Wade and legalize interracial marriage via Loving v. Virginia, as well as to overturn racial segregation in education via Brown v. Board of Education.
With the recent Supreme Court decision, it has become clear that laws can easily and quickly change based on a court’s decision.
The U.S. House passed the Respect For Marriage Act on Tuesday, July 19, to codify legal same-sex marriage nationwide, but it still has to go to the Senate.
Even with U.S. representatives taking action, state officials should take steps now to legalize same-sex marriage in Wisconsin as well.
It’s generally viewed as amoral to cheat on your spouse or to be an absentee father. That doesn’t mean it should be illegal.
In Wisconsin and in most of the country, a man can only marry the man he loves and a woman can only marry the woman she loves because of a single Supreme Court decision: Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).
The successful argument behind the Obergefell decision was based on the 14th Amendment. The argument is largely identical to the one that had been behind Roe v. Wade.
Like Roe, Obergefell is fragile.
Justice Thomas himself wrote in a court opinion that he wants the Supreme Court to reexamine Obergefell. It’s unclear if the other conservative justices of the high court agree with Thomas.
In Wisconsin and throughout the country, conservatives argue for individual freedoms – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If Wisconsin wants to be a land of freedom, the Legislature should act to allow people to marry who they choose.
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Racine Journal Times. July 27, 2022.
Editorial: Milwaukee gets boost in GOP convention bid
It’s not yet a done deal, but the City of Milwaukee took a major step forward toward hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention last week when it gained the endorsement of the GOP site selection panel.
RNC Senior Advisor Richard Walters said the selection committee’s vote was “a testament to the forthright and professional behavior embraced by Milwaukee’s city leaders throughout the process.”
That came in part because the pursuit of the convention was a bipartisan one with both Republicans and Democrats laying out the welcome mat for the event. That was reflected again in the round of applause it got from local officials immediately after the vote was announced.
“Today’s news is great for our region, especially as workers and businesses continue to recover from the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic. We are ready to show the world what Milwaukee has to offer,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
His comments were echoed by Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson who said, “I want Milwaukee to hold a prominent position as a convention city. This is about future conventions and future business, trade shows, major membership organizations, sports and entertainment activities happening right here in the city of Milwaukee.”
It’s a second chance for the city which had planned to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention until it was upended by the coronavirus that left it as a “virtual” convention. Still, that experience allowed city and state leaders to push the city as a “turnkey” site for the GOP convention since it had just gone through the massive planning needed to host such an event.
It didn’t hurt, either, that Nashville, the other top contender for the GOP nod, balked down the stretch when there was local opposition to hosting and backers withdrew a proposed agreement about how to host the event. Still a final decision has not been made, but that is expected to come from the full Republican National Committee when it meets in early August.
Make no mistake, the economic impact is likely to be immense and long-lasting. The Republican host committee plans on raising $65 million for the event and it is projected to bring 50,000 convention attendees and visitors to the area in July and August. The economic impact on southeastern Wisconsin has been estimated at $200 million.
Beyond that, it will also give the city a chance to prove its bona fides as a convention host and showcase the Fiserv Forum and the Wisconsin Center, which is currently undergoing an expansion, and which are expected to be main venues for the gathering.
Yes, there will be concerns about security and – as most political conventions do – there will likely be some protests. We hope proper safeguards are in place. And, yes, there are political naysayers, in this political battleground state, who would rather not see Republicans gathering here and, perhaps, boosting their chances in the fall elections.
But it’s also a chance to showcase all the charms of Wisconsin and Milwaukee as a sparkling gem on the Great Lakes, to demonstrate our generous hospitality and put out a welcome mat for all visitors for years to come. That will endure long after the convention has come and gone.
