Human rights, was: <VV> "FNADER" is disrespectful

[airvair]

On BIG difference with Canada is that there are NO second class
citizens. Everyone has the right to marry the person they love. Not true
in the US. The radical religious fundamentalists (among other deluded
people) have seen to that.

When you strip even ONE person of a right that you yourself can take for
granted, you have created a second class of citizenship. Because, for
whatever reason you use to justify it, there is just no getting around
it. Rationalize it all you want, use theocracy, tradition, "natural"
design, etc. but it all boils down to one thing. You can't have it both
ways. You can't claim to have "liberty and justice for all" and then
turn around and deny it to some group you despise.

Our founding fathers were right in holding a dim view of allowing
theocracy into democracy. It's why the Constitution forbids the
government from making any laws governing the free practice of religious
beliefs, and why Jefferson went on record favoring what we now call
"separation of church and state." Mixing the two are ALWAYS dangerous.
Just look at Iran, if you don't believe it. Then consider that when it
comes to religious extremists, only the brand differs. Extremists of ANY
religion are a danger to everyone else.

Simply put, Americans have let their "Christian" beliefs to blind them
to the principal of equal treatment of ALL people under the LAW. And I
thought we were supposed to live in a democratic republic, not a
theocracy. As I have said before, matters of human rights should NEVER
be subject to the tyranny of a popular vote (pure democracy.) (Now THAT
would be a good Constitutional Amendment!) Obviously the founding
fathers had similar thoughts, for they gave us a democratic REPUBLIC.

Time for this thread to go to VVtalk. (Note the above address insertion.
Please remove VV from further posts.)

-Mark

Secular wrote:
> 
>   With all due respect, I believe this has little to do with being Canadian OR American (unless someone wishes to convince me that there are fundamental differences between section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and the American 1st Amendment).
> 
> 
>   In the words of an enlightened southerner:
>     Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that !
> 
>   Tony
>