Thousands Attend Same Sex Marriage Bill Hearings In Maine

I read another article on same sex marriages being legalized this time in Maine. In the article http://feminist.org/news/newsbyte/printnews.asp?id, from the Feminist Daily News Wire on April 22, 2009, The Maine state Legislature Judiciary Committee was holding hearings on two gay rights bills, several thousand people attended and they gave a standing ovation to the state Senator Dennis Damon, who sponsored the bill to legalize same sex marriages in Maine. The bill "Damon's Bill", "repeals the provision that limits marriage to only man and woman,and replaces it with the authorization for marriage between any two persons that meet the requirements for marriage between any two persons that meet the requirements of Maine law" and also recognizes marriages performed outside the state. This is really a big step for the state of Maine, I think the last article I read dealt with legalizing gay marriage in Iowa, these are two states that are miles apart and both have decided to legalize gay marriage. In my opinion, eventually gay marriage will be legalized all across the United States. That will be a good thing for so many people. It is still unclear if the Maine Governor will actually even sign the bill if passed by legislature, but if the legislation is approved, Maine would be the fifth state to permit same sex marriages in the United States after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. I think that everyone should have the freedom to choose who they want to marry, it is and should be a personal choice.

Will Obama Prosecute the Captured Somali 'Pirate' in a US Court?

It has been covered closely by the media and is is something that I am sure everone of us have heard about by now, and that is the capture and rescue of Captain Richard Phillips. http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/136420, First Phillips was captured by Somali Pirates and was later rescued by the US Navy. Phillips was held on a small lifeboat in the Indian Ocean after an unsuccesful attempt to take control of the US-flagged vessel, the Maersk Alabamja, a ship owned by a Pentagon Contractor. Questions are emerging about the decision to use military force. It has been told that Obama gave the green light on Friday to use lethal force regardless of threats that were made by Somalians. After the death of three Somali men, the questions arise as to what will be the consequences of the killings and what will be done with the fourth Somalian who is in custody. On the issue of jursidiction to prosecute the fourth Somali 'pirate', according to Scott Horton, a military and constitutional law expert, "Pirates" can be tried anywhere that offers jurisdiction, but what will Obama do? That is the big question. Many things ahve been thrown in the air, including sending him to Guantanamo, which he is closing down, but if he doesn't it will be interesting to see if Obama elects to bring him to the U.S. or, as has been suggested by some, prosecute him in Kenya.
I personally think that President Obama will do what is morally right when it comes to the issue of the Somalian 'Pirate', but it could be a legal test of Obama's legal interpritation of the rights of prisoners taken by the U.S. in unusual circumstances. I personally don't think the 'Pirate' should have any rights once he hits U.S. soil. They weren't worried about Mr. Phillip's rights, so why should his be taken into consideration? I feel that being the kind of man that President Obama "seems" to be, that he will do what is right regardless of the circumstances.

C.I.A to Close Secret Prisons for Terror Suspects

The most controversial counter terrorism program of the Bush Administration is coming to an end. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/world/10detain.html? The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) announced on Thursday April 9th,2009 that it would decommission the secret overseas prisons where Al Quaeda prisoners have been kept and subjected to brutal interrogation methods since 2002 when the program was created. Waterboarding, one of the interrogation methods, which involved near-drowning has been declared torture by the agency's director, Leon E. Panetta and other Obama Administration officials, but according to Panetta the agency officers who worked in the program should not be investigated because under President George W. Bush the Justice Department declared their actions legal. During his first week in office President Obama banned coercive interrogations and ordered the CIA programs closed. Mr. Panetta said the secret detention facilities are no longer in operation, but at taxpayer's expense are still being kept under security and maintenance, and terminating security contracts will save at least $4million. Aviation records and news reports have placed the locations for the secret prisons in Afghanistan, Thailand, Poland, Romania, and Jordan among other countries. Even though the number of held prisoners is not very high, less than 100 since 2002 when the program was created, the number subjected to the "enhanced" interrogation techniques was almost half of the total number. The remaining 14 prisoners were transferred to Guantanamo Cuba in 2006. The techniques described by President Obama and Vice President Biden as torture also betrayed American Values, alienated allies, and became a recruiting tool for Al Quaeda. I realize that terrorism is an evil thing and terrorists need to be dealt with, but I am in total agreement that the practices supposedly used at the secret prisons do betray American Values and I honestly feel that two wrongs definitely do not make a right. Mr. Panetta said that the agency would cooperate, but made it clear that "fairness and wisdom" should dictate against a criminal investigation or other sanctions.

Gay Marriage in...Iowa?

Gay Marriage is now legal in Iowa, as discussed in http://www.thenation.com/state_of_change/424085/gay_marriage_in_iowa?rel=hp_pi, by Ari Berman. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot bar gay couples from seeking to marry. Gay marriage is legal in corn state but, in a state who's Republican Party has been overtaken by social conservatives this is predicted to have wide-ranging ramifications. Democrats have had success at the statewide level in recent years, and as Berman says this is due partly to the fact that the Republican party has been overtaken by social conservatives. The Republicans are sure to react with fury, and I think this is great anything to get their blood boiling! A February 2008 poll was listed in the Des Moines Register that showed six in ten Iowans believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but the same number supported civil unions for gay couples. This shows a pretty split opinion, but as we know the court's ruling is not based on just that poll. Some membersreacted to the ruling with caution, while others such as Iowa Senate Majority LeaderMike Gronstel and House Speaker Pat Murphy, both Democrats, reacted with joy, noting that "Iowa has always been a leader in the area of civil right. I think the decision is great, I myself am heterosexual, but I believe regardless of one's sexual orientation, one should have the right to marry who he/she chooses, this is a personal decision and doesn't even effect any one other than the parties involved. Will the cause cultural conflict in Iowa? Who knows, probably not though.