CNN

Again, the Republicans are only singled out, so everyone voting against this was just a Republican?

This was not just done during Presidential elections, it was done in many states (45 or so) that also had just local elections with DEMOCRATS running for office and in some of those cases the DEMOCRATS won, but the gay marriage question STILL LOST.

Sorry, but that is the truth.

this is a sure sign that not every one in politis is educated, what garaties that a straight will raise a kid in a "family atmosphere" how many divorces and abuse problems aren't there in "normal couples"

Tom Dedham, Mass : Sorry I didn't give an answer for all your questions, but I think that gay marriage being on the ballot was a ploy by the Republicans to bring out all the homophobic hate-mongers from the woodwork knowing they would also vote Republican while they're there.

And really what's the big deal about calling it "marriage"? Really, what's the freakin' big deal? Let's make everyone (men & women) have civil unions instead of marriages to bring down the ridiculous divorce rate.

It's just stupid to be so hung up on a word, and so into other people's private business.

Oh, dear Pam Holt Los Angeles, CA, judging from your comments here, I want to say that you have no idea what you are talking about because you DON'T KNOW what happiness REALLY is. I feel sorry for you. Hope you find that great feeling of happiness before it's too late.

Funny how only one of you half answered my question.

The lack of an honest rebuttal proves my point about whom the real hypocrites are.

It is indeed a slippery slope. If we give them same sex marriage, they'll come back latter and demand the right to marry their pets and farm animals.

We need to stop it here and now, Praise Him!!!

Tom Dedham, Mass: My answer is YES, Hillary, Obama, Edwards, and the rest ARE bigots and homophobes. It's absolutely disgusting.

Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel are the only two candidates that agree that ALL Americans should have equal rights. It's really a no-brainer.

It's embarrassing to hear ignorant arguments against it. Just stop people, stop. You are showing your EXTREME ignorance. I feel as though I'm surrounded by rednecks and hillbillies. STOP!

Concerned Citizen of MA: How sad that your family members would never feel they could come out and so they conform to what your close-minded type of society expects. I know at least one gay man this is "happily" married with a child. He hasn't acted on his homosexuality YET, and has denied his true self (he is even a Republican!). I find this so sad. Life is too short to not be who you really are.

As far as the procreation argument: I have been married for 11 years and my husband and I are being responsible and choosing NOT to have kids. The last thing our Earth needs is MORE people. I feel the same way about breeding animals- there's too many kids in foster homes and orphanages that deserve a chance at a decent life too. Why not adopt if you feel you must have children (and make the world a better place- God forbid)? I believe it's an ego thing for many people... they have to have your genes or you don't want them.

What a sad world we live in.

SMARTEN UP those of you too ignorant to even realize how MORALLY wrong (and hateful) you are by treating your fellow Americans as unequals because they were born different from you.

Always the same- republicans who have no new ideas or ability to lead try to rally their faithful through homophobia. Please note the example of Massachusetts- no straight person was inconvenienced in any way when gays were given the right to marry. The gay community is not trying to hurt straight people or to take over the world- just to have equal protection under the law. I PROMISE all of you this will not lead to people marrying their pets or their cars. I really believe we will look back on this in 75-100 years and be ashamed that we were so backward as a country.

To Representative Tom Tancredo:
I absolutely agree with you! Thank you very much for supporting traditional values and basic morality.

To everyone who has been posting here:
I notice that many of you disagree with Rep. Tancredo... seriously, you need to get over your "political correctness" and acknowledge the fact that homosexuality is immoral.

Ah, so we don't want to allow gay marriage because a gay couple cannot, by themselves, procreate? Well, how about we force all straight couples who marry to have children within, say, three years of their wedding day? If a straight couple can't have kids, then in this brave new world we're creating, perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to marry. It's well known, after all, that we need all the help we can get to solve the burgeoning underpopulation problem that's plaguing our planet.

Or maybe, just maybe, we can separate church and state for ourselves on this one. From a governmental point of view, a marriage should be nothing more than a business contract. Recall that the primary activity of government in the process of getting married is PROVIDING A PERMIT! They should not be allowed to go further. If a particular church doesn't want to perform ceremonies for gay couples who wish to marry, that is their constitutional right. The government, however, shouldn't have that right. And let's be very clear that this is an issue about equal rights. Someone made a comment earlier that we would have to, under the same reasoning, sanction pedophelia. This argument is ridiculous in the extreme: pedophilia is a forcible act upon a child who can't legally consent to the sex act. The act of sex for a gay couple is, as it is for a straight couple, consensual. It is mean spirited, bigoted, and just plain wrong to try to compare the two. Finally, does my reasoning allow groups of more than two individuals to marry? Yes, and so what? Does it really harm the Tancredos of the world that there are loving gay couples? Would it do Tancredo harm that a group of more than two entered into a contract for mutual support? I hope the answer is obvious. And now really finally, to the religious fanatics that want to keep spouting the Old Testament to support their bigotry, I would point out that in the Old Testament, God told Israel on a number of occasions that slavery was okay. Don't know too many people these days that would agree with God on this one.

To Paul, NOL: It isn't about getting married "in a church"... it is about getting married. Having a legally recognized marriage and all that entails.

On another note, I kind of liked his ideas about 3, 4 or more peeps getting married. Why just worry about gays? We should open this debate to communal marriages. Lets really have at it!

"...and the left/socialist side doesn't represent most Democrats..." – Chris, Middletown, CT

If you don't know the definition of socialism, don't use the word. Words have meanings. They are not just verbal bricks to throw at opponents. No Democrat is proposing any socialist policies for the US. No Republican is proposing fascist policies.

So say what you mean and mean what you say.

"This guy at least doesn't try to hide his fascism." Posted By Lee, Mays Landing NJ

While Hitler was rather uncomfortable with homosexuality and personally shot a few homosexual Nazi's, the word "fascism" has a definition and it should not be used in place of a word like "jerk" or "muddled thinker." It is a very strong word and should be reserved for very unusual situations.

"A Man shall not lay with another Man as with a Women.- Moses, quoted by God@paradise.com

Let's pretend for a moment that Moses actually wrote the Pentateuch. He had much more to say about pork than about homosexuality. I am a vegetarian myself and find the anti-pork verses in the Bible to be somewhat neglected by those who imagine that they live by all those verses.

I also don't recall any comment about women laying with women in the Bible so I assume that good Christian lesbians should be entitled to the sacrament of marriage. The prohibition only affects men.

A lesbian relative of mine got married a few years ago (not legally) and later divorced her partner. I told her that if she keeps getting married and divorced over and over people are going to start thinking that she is heterosexual.

If you really want to preserve marriage, let's do away with divorce laws. After all, divorce destroys more than 50% of all marriages.

Jesus was quite clear: a man may divorce his wife only for infidelity; a woman may not divorce her husband for any reason. We need to roll back all those divorces and reassign people to their original spouses. Whom God has joined, let no man put asunder.

Well written,easily understood news coverage by CNN.

Pam Holt Los Angeles, CA :

I was referring to your previous post: "I am sure if you have more than a few kids or grandkids, chances are one of them is homosexual". Where did you get this from?

I am one of ten siblings – we are all happily married with children. This proves your statement to be wrong.

Tom Dedham, Mass :

My friend – I agree with you wholeheartedly.

I have posted this many times and not one of you has ever attempted to answer:

Point 1:

Hillary and other Democrats in the race are also against gay marriage and in fact Shrillary as co-president started the whole "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

So even though they are never asked and they never publicly discuss their reasons, does that make them bigots and homophobes as well or is that only for the conservatives who feel the same way?

Point 2:

The 45 or so states that have OVERWHELMINGLY voted against gay marriage (many not red states either) are they all homophobes and bigots as well?

Point 3:

Can one have the simple belief that marriage is ONE man and ONE woman and nothing else, but still support civil unions with all attached RIGHTS (it is just about rights isn't it?) for our gay friends?

I guess so, as they are my feelings and I will march right next to them in order to get them those "attached rights".

So basically, the people that are for "Freedom" and not having a "big government" telling them how to live, and force their beliefs on the rest of the country, are asking for the government to conform to their own. Commercial contracts are NO WHERE NEAR A loser politician's desire to say who can love whom. It won't make gay people go away, it won't prevent heterosexual marriages from divorcing, it won't do anything.

What a non-issue. There'a a war going on "tancredo", and I suggest you stop condemning ads and start working on America's ability to pay its debts, feed our families, and keep jobs here.

The Republican mindset is scary.
They are fixated on gays and stem cells all the while they are bankrupting the country with a growing $9 trillion debt and fighting a senseless and illegal war.
They criticize the Muslims for trambling on the rights of women and our lawmakers are determined to control the women in this country. The only difference is the degree.
What is important for the country? Lets think about that.

These zealots should read a little bit. Nothing in the Bible about marriage. Somebody made that up later and it hasn't worked out very well, considering the divorce rate. Well, let him blab on. He must make sense to some people.

Homosexual couples CAN'T have children. They don't need federal recognition of marriage and the tax breaks married couples recieve. Homosexuality is fine, do whatever you want, but the government doesn't have to endorse your personal decisions. The government should stay the hell out of all our private lives.

Some of these republicans like Tancredo scare me. They would like nothing more than to turn our American Democracy into a theocracy. What scares me more than him spouting his ignorance are those who would follow him, or others like him, to the complete destruction of our democracy.

Tom Tancredo and Larry Craig – cut from the same cloth? Think about it.

Anyone else noticed a pattern? The louder and more obnoxious a Repugnican cries "down with gays! Down with gays!"-the more men they are hooking up with in bathrooms?

I value my gay family members, and they should every right to be as miserable as my straight married family members!

The wings (or fringe) or either party do not represent the majority of voters....the right wing does not represent me...(I'm a Republican) and the left/socialist side doesn't represent most Democrats...I think we need the only moderate running....a social liberal...and fiscal conservative....Giuliani....Dems..you know you are running all left (and a socialist) – and Republicans....you know you are running the religious minority on the right (except Giuliani) – he represents 60% of us...Democrats...Republicans...and Independents...he is the right person for the job...

MARRIAGE LEGISLATION SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE STATES.... FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE NO JURISDICTION.... LAST I CHECK THEY WILL NEED TO PROVE A COMPELLING STATE INTEREST OR JURISDICTION UNDER SOME CLAUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION AND FOR THE LOVE OF ME I CAN'T THINK OF ANY.....

And this from a party that can't even figure our how to eliminate the marriage tax penalty. Gays are much better off getting a civil union and forgetting about marriage where the IRS will punish them in the tax code. My wife and I are thinking about getting a divorce to avoid this tax.

a shout out to Terry, IA -

This is an important issue? Only to about 10% of the population who has the time to dictate so-called moral values to the rest of us.

There are so many more pressing issues, poverty, health care, caring for our elderly, war and the veterans who return ... all the things "good Christians" should be concerned with.

If you want your family values, then raise your children and grandchildren to have them. Teaching love instead of intolerance and hate would be a good start. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It's nice to see the number of educated individuals on this post than those of the non-educated sector of society. When are people running for a political office going to stop bashing certain groups in this country? It's appalling to those not only in the gay community but those who teach their children love and tolerance to those who are different even though we are all the same in God's eyes. I'm absolutely tired of it and anyone who brings up hatred towards another group of individuals will not under any circumstances get my vote, I'M SICK OF IT! Fix my healthcare costs, educational system, our reputation in this world, broken borders, and so many more issues which need addressed.

Concerned Citizen of MA:

I don't remember quoting any statistics. You mean the fact that many gay teenagers sadly commit suicide most likely due to not having parents that they felt would accept them unconditionally?

I've never met a gay person that hates straight people. This would mean that they hate their family and likely some friends, so I don't know if there's too many of them out there.

Remember when Jefferson wrote "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

or remember when Jesus said "He without sin cast the first stone."

or remember when Moses wrote that commandment banning gay marriage? Oh yeah its not one of the commandments!!!!

In response to the below:

While I don't agree with the federal govt wasting time on such a proposal. Why would gays want to get married in a church when the religion has persecuted them throughout time? Can someone answer that? Does it really matter if a priest tells you that are man and man or wife and wife. Who cares? All that should matter is that you love the other persion not some religion to tell you that!
Posted By Paul, New Orleans, LA : October 5, 2007 6:44 pm

The issue is getting married and having the government recognize it NOT where is happens (i.e. gays to be treated the same as straight couples and not be sent to the back of the bus)

While I don't agree with the federal govt wasting time on such a proposal. Why would gays want to get married in a church when the religion has persecuted them throughout time? Can someone answer that? Does it really matter if a priest tells you that are man and man or wife and wife. Who cares? All that should matter is that you love the other persion not some religion to tell you that!

What are you talking about, Pam Holt Los Angeles, CA? Where did you get these statistics? Mind sharing that source with us?

The situation in Massachusetts is quite the opposite now that gay marriges are legal. We (the majority) are being silenced now by gay advocates groups with their hate speeches and protests – they are the ones that hate straight people.

Tancredo and the people he panders to are too dumb to understand that a judge can rationally rule that the Equal Protection clause of a state constitution requires equal rights to civil unions. The New Jersey Supreme Court did so and is one of the smarter benches in the nation.

In America today many people fear the choices other Americans make about how to live their lives. I just don't understand this thinking. I believe it comes from the absolutes that all religions forces on their followers.

Let's face it. Living by rules made by people living 2000 years ago is a failed policy. If the Middle East isn't proof of that I don't know what is.

If my neighbor decides to enter into a gay marriage, should my family be afraid of that? How is that possibly weakening the strength and "Sanctity" of my marriage?

I was taught that America was founded by people looking for freedom of choice. Where will we have to go next for that freedom? The moon?

My message to Tom Tancredo and the rest of his "live my way or go to jail" crowd is simple. Go run a religion and stay out of my government.

Tancredo states the case for good moral values. Those that oppose Tancredo's views are the very people that extremists like Ahmadinejad and the Islamofascists are gunning for as they hold up the 'deteriorating' American moral culture to people as justification for their 'JIHAD'. The more the liberals are successful, the more America has to 'fear' from Muslim extremists as many in all parts of the world are finding out on a personal basis.

WHEN oh WHEN will everyone realize Gay Marriage is not EQUAL rights.. it's NEW rights!

A straight man can not marry another man.

A Gay man CAN marry any woman he wishes.

The SAME law applies to both straight and gay people in America. What is being demanded is the right to marry someone of the same-sex (new right) and have it recognized by the Federal/State Governments.

My only hope is... IF gay marriage is forced on this country, Polygamy, Incestuous Marriage, etc be supported by these same people. What's the difference??

Tom Tancredo is an idiot and he's talking about Iowa and forcing God down our throats. Hey, Tom, its not contagious. Get him out of that state they have enough Idiots Out Wandering Again and he's to close to my house.

Thank God for someone proposing an amendment like this. Just because someone has an uncontrollable perverted sexual lust it doesn't mean it's alright. According to the "born that way" argument someone could say that it's wrong to condemn pedophilia also. The "born that way" argument doesn't account for the homosexuals that choose to leave that lifestyle either and start normal heterosexual relationships.

I must say I chuckle everytime a conservative starts to rant against "activist" judges.

Throughout history judges have made decisions regarding the civil rights of citizens in the United States. Without activist judges we would not have the Miranda rights. Without activist judges seperate but equal would still be the law of the land in some states. Without activist judges people of different ethnic backgrounds would not be able to marry in some states. There are many decisions judges have made in our history that have gone against the "will of the people" and our nation is better off for it.

When a judge makes a decision the conservatives like that judge is a gift from God. When the judge makes a decision the conservatives don't like the judge is labeled and activist and rants of impeachment abound. It is to the point when conservatives are making themselves an object of laughter and ridicule.

The reality of Mr. Tancredo's request for a constitutional ammendment is that it will never happen. There are not enough state votes to pass this type of ammendment and Tancredo knows it. By standing on the steps of the state capital and screaming about a contraversial issue Tancredo gets free press he would not otherwise have received.

Tancredo is just pandering to the conservatives for votes.

We've already established that Tancredo is a xenophobe, now he's adding "homophobe" to his list. Hey, Tom, care to add "racist," "anti-semite," and "misogynist," too?

And this is why there is no chance in hell this man will ever be elected into the White House.

A Man shall leave his Mother and Father and cling unto his Wife.
A Man shall not lay with another Man as with a Women.
-Moses

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so ever believeth in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.
I am the way the truth and the light, no Man cometh unto the Father but by Me.
-Jesus

In response to the comment that judges should not be allowed to make laws: it is the judiciary branches responsibility to rule against laws if they are unconstitutional. It is called checks and balances. And this is an issue that will eventually be decided by the Supreme Court and judges have to strike laws down in mutiple districts before it will go that far.

Amendments to the constitution should grant rights, not prohibit things. And let's face the facts that a state in which the legislature would ban same-sex marriage wouldn't grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples so an amendment is completely pointless except for politicians who are pandering to the right-wing for votes.

AMEN to Kate, Aurora CO!

Thank you (& the other educated posters) for restoring my faith in Americans!

You all give me hope!

Judge Hanson did not "pass a law." He overturned one. Courts do that all the time. Don't make this about so called "activist judges". This is about state-sponsored intolerance and bigotry. I love Tancredo's analogy that this is like saying the state can't regulate commercial contracts. A marriage is a contract the confers certain benefits from the government (like tax breaks). This "sanctity of marriage" argument would be laughable were it not so ignorant and driven by irrational fear and illogical reasoning. If marriage is so sacred, why do the majority of them fail? How many members of congress have been divorced? Instead of saying who can't get married, how about saying who can't get divorced? Force people to stay married if it's so important to the fabric of our society. It's criminal that this congressman could think that with health care, education, the economy, the enviroment, and the debacle in Iraq, the most important thing he should talk about now is who can marry who.

Tancredo is a clown. End of story.

Gee I would think if it's that important the voters and not the legislators should have been the ones to amend this law in Iowa. What is a Colorado legislator speaking out for other than attention to himself? How about we all have to have civil unions for legal purposes just like lots of other countries where marriage is a matter of faith and family not based in state laws. The marriage then could be left up to the couple, their family and their religious affiliation. Then we would actually have seperation of church and state as it is supposed to be.Too much for the conservatives in the GOP I suspect. Bunch of hypocrites.

Terry from Iowa, what about people that DONT WANT KIDS?

You are an ignorat fool sir. Step away from the microphone and silence yourself forever for all our sake.

Bradley in Greeley CO: I'm with you. This guy is an embarrassment. And for those of you afraid that gay marriage will harm your children or destroy American family values, you can't catch "gayness". A person is born gay and every person born in this country is supposed to have equal rights. You are worried about preserving marriage? well, your straight counterparts aren't doing such a good job of that. I know many gay couples that have been together longer than straight couples I know. With a never ending war, increasing poverty, outbreaks of once dormant ailments (autism), failing schools, overcrowded prisons, etc etc, you are worried about two adults making a decision to spend the rest of their lives together. Wow. Way to have your priorities straight.

He is right on one issue!

No, I am not saying that gays shouldn't have the right to marry, quite the contrary. Personally I would vote for gay marriage. But this is not how it should be done.

Judges should not be able to pass laws, period. That is why there is a judicial system and a legislative system. If you want it, get it on the ballot or pass a bill.

In Mass, same thing. Judges don't make laws!!!

The best thing you can do for your children and grandchildren is to teach them tolerance and how wrong hating someone because they're different from you is. Hopefully their generations will be the ones to bring this country into the 21st Century and give rights to all Americans. It really is embarrassing to read comments like yours knowing they came from a fellow American.

Can't you see the hate you are forcing upon the world with your ignorance?

I am sure if you have more than a few kids or grandkids, chances are one of them is homosexual, but luckily for you, they will know they won't be able to talk to you about this, and you will have convinced them they they are sinners and maybe they'll commit suicide like so many gay teenagers do. How will that make you feel?

Please educate yourself and prevent tragedies like these.

As a Coloradan, I wish to say that Tancredo just plain embarrasses me. He doesn't even have enough votes to be taken seriously. And as far as gay rights goes...I say let gays marry and may lord have mercy upon Senator Craig's soul.

Oh great. Now the Republicans want to change the constitution. I have never in my life seen such disorderly thinking!

What about Animal-Human marriages too?!

Oh oh! lets not forget Redneck-Alien marriages!!!

But what if I want to marry my '57 Chevy? I NEED that one to go through.

If I cannot marry my '57 Chevy, I swear the fabric of society will not hold! What will people do if they CANT marry their favorite automobile?

IS THIS GUY SERIOUS?

Point in fact, if 54.8% of all marriages in the United States didn't end in divorce nowadays, marriage might be worth protecting. Scratch that, protecting from what? Gays? Bastardizing a sacred Christian ritual? GIMME A BREAK. Go Divorce yourself from the idea that gays, and lesbians, and aliens and rednecks and '57 Chevy's are dangerous to society. They deserve the same damn tax breaks as the rest of us (0% for people making under 6 million dollars/year) and let them get married. Quit with the hipocirsy washington. One would think a Colorado politician would be a little more loose about this subject, but alas! He's republican! Tell Craig I say hello! and I'll be in the 3rd stall around 6:15

I am happy at least Tom Tancredo came up with common sense on this important issue. Keep it up.This is the way to defend our family values. These are the issues, we have to pay attention so that our children and grand-children can enjoy family atmosphere. We will dump these judges like Judge Hanson....

This guy at least doesn't try to hide his fascism.

He isn't all things to all people like the frauds Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney.

Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are the real face of the modern republican party.

What a hate-monger!

Don't these homophobes realize how wrong it is to not have equal rights for ALL Americans? These are not people choosing to be homosexual. Science (and the homosexuals of the world) tell us this is the way they were born. It's all about education, and we could use less hate and ignorance in the world, especially in this country.

What business is it of anyone's if two people that love each other want to get married? It's not like marriage is very sacred in this country between a man and a woman anyway considering the divorce rate.

Dennis Kucinich & Mike Gravel are the only candidates that believe in equal rights for all Americans. The rest are ignorant, and I'd hate to have another ignorant president.

How sickening it is that we have to constantly witness conservative bigotry in this century.

Excuse me, Tom, maybe you would prefer to go back to The Dark Ages, but intelligent people who have tossed aside that book of Bronze Age fairy tales would rather not.

Keep your delusional hands off of the Constitution!

Oh brother here we go again, Is the GOP going to have their platform again be about God, Gays, and Guns for '08???? Hey GOP wake up and talk about "Real" issues in this country for once.

Sounds like more of the rantings of the would be US Talliban. Pay close attention voters, this right wing in the US is every bit as big a threat as the "real" Talliban.