In March Derence Kernek and Ed Watson recorded a video requesting that California's 9th Circuit Court allow Judge Vaughn Walker's decision to overturn Prop 8 to stand. This request was due to Watson having recently been diagnosed with a rapid-onset Alzheimer's. The couple wanted to be married while Watson still had memories of their 40 years together.
On Aug. 4, 2010, Judge Walker had ruled that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional, as it denied gays and lesbians due process and equal protection under the law. As Walker had not disclosed that he was gay and in a relationship at the time, Prop 8 supporters filed a motion to dismiss his decision, as he would stand to benefit from it. Of course, their argument fails to recognize that according to their anti-gay claims, any heterosexual judge would stand to benefit from a decision in their favor.
That argument failed in a lower court, and arguments before the 9th Circuit were being heard on Dec. 8 in regard to the Prop 8 proponents' appeal of that decision.
Close to midnight, on the eve of these arguments, Watson passed away due to complications from his quickly advancing Alzheimer's and diabetes. He and Kernek were never married.
On top of that, because of the inequality in the law, and the couple's inability to marry, Watson had been denied coverage under Kernek's retirement plan (as any heterosexual couple would be entitled to). This caused incredible financial hardships.
Kernek could not be reached for comment, as their phone had been disconnected.
Please watch the video that this couple put together urging for marriage equality in California
The right to marry, quite simply, is that if you qualify for for what is legally and socially accepted as a marriage, then yes, you have the right to go through the required process to have your qualifying relationship legally registered as a marriage with its benefits and responsibilities.
There is no right to unilaterally alter or mutilate the definition of marriage so as to get a no-qualifying relationship accepted as a "marriage." That's not a right, that's fraud!
Likewise, it's not about a "piece of paper." That piece of paper is token acknowledgement that a couple have entered the estate that society and its law recognize and accept as a marriage.
I have been in an intimately close, loving relationship with my children for well north of 40 years. Can we claim a marriage?
So gets say you get your way, and Romney or Gingrich become president. You will have a republican congress that unlike president Obama... will not even try to fight for your rights. As many as three Supreme Court justices will also be chosen by the next president. I guess you also want a right wing court that will probably uphold all the marriage bans that are making their way throughout the country. Check, the way the GOP has become so extreme lately... they might even try to ban your life style all together. You heard santorum... and he isnt even THAT extreme compared to the rest of them.
Perhaps you hadn't actually thought it through this far.... maybe this will allowed you sonera pause before you throw your entire future down te drain on a tantrum.
Among the candidates on the right, each is more atrocious than the last. Never have I more needed to hold my nose than in having to plunge my hand into their cesspool to retrieve the pure gold principle of the committed male-female union that alone is marriage.
But that's what I have to do, because I will not allow the fraudsters -- of whatever political party -- to bury the real thing in the mud and pass off their counterfeit under the name of marriage!
Of course it's the people's right to decide how "marriage" is defined. But the SSM pushers won't accept that constitutonal principle either, because beyond railroading SSM legislation, they keep exerting themselves to thwart the nationwide pushback of the people against SSM.
What issue in history has prompted so many state constitutional amendments, repeals of legislation, unseating of judges, etc., as SSM, railroaded through when the people were caught off guard, wearied with crises related to the economy? Once they wake up to the burglary and debasing of their values by SSM, there will be even more pushback
Whichever way the people's decision goes, I have faith they will sooner or later wake up and realize they've been defrauded. Then will come the tidal wave that will sweep away those SSM constructions of sand.