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Just another day in the life of a journalist.

I say we squash the whole issue like this: Take government out of marriage make marriage a strictly religious institution. Replace government involvement by offering the following. Civil unions for everyone, define it as a contract between two consenting adults that establishes all the legal rights, benefits, and draw backs that marriage currently has. Grandfather in all existing marriages. Now, the religious groups can define marriage however they want, and it is independent of legal rights and privileges.

Plan B: Don't fly into Mr. Peanut's WEZ. Go to AFROTC, eat whatever you want, go to UPT, get the exact same wings as everyone else.

I disagree. I think it does fall under the 14th- here's why: The courts have ruled that under the Equal Protection Clause, laws that infringe a fundamental right on the basis of racial or ethnic identity have to meet a very high “strict scrutiny” standard that requires that they be “narrowly tailored” to serve a “compelling” government interest. Laws that make distinctions on the basis of gender are generally required to meet a weaker, but still stringent “exacting scrutiny” standard, that requires the government to show they serve an “important” government interest. In Loving v. Virginia the Supreme Court ruled laws banning interracial marriages were unconstitutional. In his decision Justice Warren wrote: "Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival.To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State." One could easily apply gender in place of race in that ruling. /thread derail

It is a thread derailment, but I'll bite... As a Libertarin I could give 2 fvcks who people want to fvck. And as for gay marriage, I could care less if 2 dudes or 2 chicks want to marry and thus have a State recognized contract with each other that allows them to see each other in the hospital after an accident, file their taxes together, etc. However, marriage--whether gay or straight is not a 'right' and thus not protected under The Constitution. Marriage is a contract set up by each individual State, so even though I personally don't care if there is gay marriage and would vote for it in a ballot measure, I respect each States' decision. The 10th Amendment allows everything not specifically defined to the federal government to be decided by individual States as long as it's not prohibited by The Consitution. And for all those that bring up "Equal Protection", it's just that--equal protection. So a gay guy can marry a chick in Oklahoma if they want, but I can't marry my brother in Oklahoma or Massachusets. There's also a reason I can't marry a 12 year old if she is willing to, or have multiple wives--equal protection doesn't apply there either unless a State allows it. Back to the 2nd Amendment...pretty clear, especially when your read The Federalist Papers as to what the framers intended. I think we should have a thread on Liberty, Rights, and The Constitution. This would be a perfect place to argue gay marriage...along with all the other crap the federal government is trying to pull on the States and its citizens.

There is a special place in the bowels of hell for the designer of JMPS! But other than that...ya dude, it's great! I JUST WANT A FUCKING BULLSEYE MAP!!!!!!!!

Except maybe watching grown men point with their elbows and introduce themselves using only a contrived nickname.

I have the USP Compact .40, and I absolutely love it. I have shot the XD 9mm and the Glock 23, and I also own a Colt .45. The USP Compact is by far my favorite.