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The Rainbow Clause:
Giving us the right to choose who; where; when; why; and how.
Ohio's Constitutional Amendment Barring
Gay and/or Lesbian Marriage is Pro Domestic Violence!
Ohio is known for its conservatism. It is also
known for its unethical voting practices, fraudulent activities in relation
to the government, and immoral tactics when getting voter support for hot
topic issues. In the wake of the last election, i.e., the campaign finance
scandals riddling the state (at both the local and state levels) and a
constitutional ban preventing gay and/or lesbian marriage, Ohio residents
have been left wondering if the election was run fairly, or not. Recently,
a lot of questions have been raised in relation to the legislative measures
Ohio is passing.
The constitutional amendment barring same-sex
marriage is affecting all unmarried couples, both homosexual and heterosexual.
Like many other states that have passed the amendment barring same-sex marriage,
Ohio has discovered the wording of the amendment opens the door to allow
less protection for all unmarried couples as a result.
Chances are, if the constituents had known that
they'd be voting on a bill that would become supportive of domestic violence
as a result - they probably would have reconsidered their vote. Unfortunately,
it is too little too late in Ohio, and some heterosexual couples have found
this out the hard way.
The courts in Ohio, such as the courtroom of
Judge Stuart Friedman in the greater Cleveland area, have resorted to reducing
sentences from felonies (domestic violence) to misdemeanors (assault) since
the individual filing domestic violence charges was not married to their
abuser. Judge Friedman dismissed the domestic violence charges on the grounds
that the new amendment banning gay marriage also eliminated domestic violence
protection - and other benefits - once offered to unwed couples. The amendment
also completely dissolves common-law marriage rights and benefits that used
to be available to Ohio residents.
Some couples just choose not to get married.
They prefer to live together. For whatever personal reasons they simply choose
not to exercise the right to marry. Some may feel that marriage is an
inconvenience; others may not be ready to marry their boyfriend/girlfriend;
and, perhaps, still others just do not believe in the institution of marriage.
Either way, the fact is unmarried men or women who abuse their
girlfriend/boyfriend will receive a lesser charge for what is 'for all intents
and purposes' considered domestic violence - simply because it occurred out
of wedlock. This is the result of a discriminatory bill which makes the
government appear much worse than many originally perceived.
By introducing such a discriminating bill the
government has cut protective resources to all couples - not just gays. Without
informing citizens what the bill really meant, the government looks as if
they were willing to use any tactic they could just to get their way. In
this case, they used a highly controversial subject as the sounding board
to pass the bill. It is no secret that many Ohioans are religious, and several
of its residents think homosexuality is wrong.
This is not to say the Ohio residents are innocent
in this. In their attempt to outlaw gay marriage they cut off their own noses.
Their belief that discrimination is okay, is affecting heterosexuals, as
well. Rather than thinking of the consequences, their own beliefs about something
(that they most likely do not understand) has caused them to lose their own
protection, as well. Of course, Ohio is saying that the constitutional ban
shouldn't affect the protection in terms of 'domestic violence', though nothing
else is being said about other benefits formerly afforded to common-law
marriages.
Ohio's solution is to revise the domestic violence
amendment already in place to specify exactly what domestic violence is.
The state hopes to prevent the revision, or removal, of the constitutional
amendment as being gay, or lesbian, is still wrong in their opinion - thus,
allowing them to discriminate against gays and lesbian. However, until anything
is done judges in Ohio will continue to rule in favor of the abuser, and
not the victim, simply because the state wanted to prevent gay people from
being treated equally.
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