Welcome to the Voice of the LOON

I hope you find food for thought and maybe a good laugh here and there. If you are looking for somebody to save the country or to save you from the country, you may be disappointed. The savior isn't coming. My goal is to inspire you to save yourself. You don't build a great country from the top down. You do it from the bottom up. I believe this has always been a great country and can be again. But we can not depend on the people in Washington or your state capitol to do it. It has to be done by people who decide to become Leaders Of Our Nation. If I can inspire you to become a Leader Of Our Nation, I will have fulfilled my purpose.


For more about Ron, The BLOCK Party and the Campaign to Restore American Prominence (CRAP), visit http://barnes4prez.com/.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional

A Massachusetts district court judge has ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it "strains credulity" and "irrational prejudice plainly never constitutes a legitimate government interest". The lawsuit was filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley because it requires the state to keep two sets of books-one for state benefits (because same-sex couples are legally married under Massachusetts law) and another for federally-funded programs, because the Defense of Marriage Act requires all states to ignore these marriages for all federally-funded programs. The video is available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/ns/msnbc_tv#38158827

The judge ruled that the DOMA violates the couple's rights to equal protection under the law, as stated in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. He also ruled it violates the Tenth Amendment by forcing the State of Massachusetts to discriminate. "The federal government, by enacting and enforcing DOMA, plainly encroaches upon the firmly entrenched province of the state and, in doing so, offends the Tenth Amendment".

This also raises an important question concerning Article IV of the Constitution. "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof". In other words, Each state is required to recognize the laws and records (such as licenses) of other states and to enforce rights in its own courts that would be enforced in other state courts.

The Defense of Marriage Act was obviously written to override this provision and allow other states to ignore the Massachusetts status of same-sex couples. If DOMA is unconstitutional, does that mean that all states must recognize the marital status of any couple legally married in another state? How about those states which have passed their own version of DOMA?

Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting episode.

Best always
Brother Ron
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