Obama Says Stop Defending Defense Of Marriage

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DickenMcHunt Male, 18-29, Midwest US 1140 Posts	Sunday, February 27, 2011 1:02:51 PM "Can you please name one good dictator in history?" Cincinnatus

auburnjunky Male, 30-39, Southern US 8695 Posts	Friday, February 25, 2011 8:14:01 AM "DOMA is inherently unconstitutional" If it is, then why is it still a law?

Angilion Male, 40-49, Europe 9554 Posts	Thursday, February 24, 2011 6:59:40 PM @Angilion: Actually, you're wrong. It has to do with the government taking away any liberty or property, not just crimes. It is the same clause of the constitution that formed the basis of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was the first time it became illegal for companies to discriminate on the basis of physical handicap. It isn`t hard at all to extend the logic to this situation. Wikipedia "due process clause" at the very least before making assertions as to the interpretation of the constitution, guy. I`d rather read the actual text, guy. Which is what I did. You can claim any text means anything. I don`t have to agree with you.

Angilion Male, 40-49, Europe 9554 Posts	Thursday, February 24, 2011 6:53:43 PM Can you please name one good dictator in history? Julius Caesar is the closest one I can think of that was any good for his people, and he isn't sugar plums and gum drops. Sulla was arguably good for the Roman republic, but his first action on seizing power was slaughtering his enemies, stealing their possessions and sticking their heads on spears in the Forum. Proscription lists and death squads followed. But he did preserve the republic and he did voluntarily restore democracy and stand down when the republic was stablised. There were a number of genuinely good dictators in the Roman republic before those two (both of whom took power illegally, unlike the earlier dictators), but they were each elected dictator by the Senate for the duration of a crisis and relinquished the dictatorship within months of being given it. Not the same thing as the modern meaning of `dictator`, really.

DickenMcHunt Male, 18-29, Midwest US 1140 Posts	Thursday, February 24, 2011 4:24:13 PM He also stated that it is simply a request to ignore the law and they are not legally obligated to observe this request, as it is still a law. Additionally he stated that this measure only effects executive offices on a federal level. State level enforcement agencies and courts are apparently unaffected by this request unless the law is repealed. The reason for this is, again, because it IS still a law. He wasn't sure if this sets a precedent or if this was an action that had been previously taken by another President. I`ve been sitting out of this conversation because I think like AJ I am kind of on the fence about it- I can see both sides as having valid grounds... Personally I think this is a bit of a stretch of power but I also fail to see how it`s illegal. I just thought I would interject with what information i`ve found. Please continue! This has probably been the most interesting dialogue on IAB i`ve witnessed yet.

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