North Carolina Amendment 1 Passes. Banning Gay Marriage Via State Constitutional Amendment

…. Marriage is now defined as one man and one woman in North Carolina, as voters reject gay marriage in constitutional amendment 1.

North Carolinians have taken a bold step and banned Same Sex marriage permanently in that state by Amending the Constitution to do so with “Amendment 1”.

The constitutional amendment was introduced by the Republican House once they gained a oft-sought-after majority in the State House during the 2010 elections. This was a feat not accomplished in North Carolina in 140 years. However the proposed amendment also enjoyed a majority in the State Senate, both of which approved the measure allowing it to be sent to the statewide ballot for a vote to either approve or reject the amendment by the people of the State of North Carolina. The State House approved the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban 75-42, and the Senate passed the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban in a vote of 30-16.

Finally, the North Carolina people approved the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban by a vote of 58% to 42%. These numbers are official but not complete, as that is with 35% of the precincts reporting, however it is enough to project that the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban will PASS by a very large measure.

This represents a huge victory for supporters of banning gay marriage, and a huge setback for gay-marriage supporters, as it further cements the opposition of the vast majority of Americans at large with their acceptance of gay marriage when it comes to voting on it. Additionally, the only way to overturn a constitutional amendment is to go through the constitutional amendment process a second time, and successfully win a second vote to repeal the measure. This essentially cements, permanently, gay marriage in the state of North Carolina for the forseeable future.

Here is how the Amendment 1 reads:

Sec. 6. Marriage.
Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.

Gay marriage was already banned in the state of North Carolina by law, with the legislating voting to ban gay marriage, but the constitutional amendment has now added language saying that marriage is defined ONLY as between one man and one woman, to the actual state constitution itself. This is the only way to ensure that law is written in stone, and cannot be overturned by the will of the legislature or the courts (Unless the United States Supreme Court were to vote in favor of gay marriage nation-wide, in a matter where the federal law trumped state law). In other words, the ban on gay marriage could not be lifted at a whim, and now will require SIGNIFICANT support in favor of gay marriage, with that support coming from a majority of both the people of the state and the state government, to overturn what has now been set in place.

Additionally, this constitutional amendment went much further than the previous law, and bans other types of marriage from being defined as “marriage”, including various types of domestic unions (closing the door on gay unions being recognized in any way as having the same rights as heterosexual marriage) and voiding other types of unions from having legal status. This could complicate some other matters in the state and disrupt protection orders for unmarried couples, for example.

Here is a video showing off those who were against Amendment 1 and the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban.

As you can imagine, this constitutional amendment gay marriage ban received heavy national interest from all parties that had a vested interest in the outcome or pushing the opinion of those with strong views either for or against. President Barack Obama’s cabinet voiced their support of gay marriage, and urged the people of the State of North Carolina to vote against the ballot; including Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Vice President Joe Biden. President Barack Obama, in the wake of the ballot’s passing, has voiced his displeasure with the ballot passing, saying he is “disappointed” in the outcome. Bill Clinton was opposed as were many other very loud voices. Opponents of the measure also held rallies and marches, public speeches, and ran TV ads against the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban, to the tune of $3 million. Among those who were against the measure included Jay Bakker, son of televangelists Jim Bakker and the late Tammy Faye Bakker.

However a great many were also for the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban and spent around $3 million campaigning in support. Including The Rev. Billy Graham, who featured a full-page newspaper ad supporting the amendment at age 93. Naturally, church leaders, pastors, Christian heavyweights voiced their support for the ballot, among others.

We’ll have to wait for official numbers to find out exactly how wide the divide was between supporters and opponents of the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban. Reportedly turnout was expected to be 2 million, which would eclipse the amount of voters who turned out in the state to vote during the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Proving that interest in voting for the ballot was extremely high and widespread.

Here is a video showing off those who were for Amendment 1 and the constitutional amendment gay marriage ban.

….. Wow look at that. I couldn’t even find a single video of support for Amendment 1 on youtube. As always, the silent majority spoke. It is always those who speak the loudest who think they got everything in the bag… despite the vast convergence of mass media against the ballot, it has now passed. It’ll be interesting to see whether this ballot’s passing effects additional states who may rise up to vote against gay marriage.

 

Hackers Play Tetris On Side of Building At Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Video Included)

A photo by Erik Nygren capturing the Tetris On A Building Hack at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tetris played using building windows is actually nothing new. Having it done illegally by hackers? THAT’S NEW.

Students at the prestigious “Massachusetts Institute of Technology” performed what is being billed as the “Holy Grail of Hacks” when they force-played Tetris on the side of a building by hacking into the “Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science” on the college campus and proceeded to play a MASSIVE game of Tetris!

Quite the feat eh! You can see a video of the actual “Tetris On Side of Building” game being played below!

Obviously this was done by some extremely bright MIT students in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as you must have insane skills to pull something like this off. And they got extreme critical acclaim, with the MIT Gallery of Hacks group calling it the “holy grail of hacks” as previously stated.

The hackers had a videogame console on the ground in order to actually play the Tetris game on the multi-colored, lit-up windows of the building, which allowed them to move and rotate the Tetrimino pieces using the controller and drop them into the well represented at the bottom of the building!

Here is the Tetris Massachusetts Hack Video!

 

How to Prevent School Shootings – Church and State

Love like Jesus commands, and people will know to Whom you belong

I am going to make my case for how to prevent school shootings. Here is the challenge. Give me a more convincing counter-argument to prevent such tragedies like the Ohio school shootings, than the argument that a Christian who follows the rules of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, someone who follows the rules below, is less likely to do what that kid and all kids involved in school shootings have done to their fellow man.

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“There is nothing in which people more betray their character than in what they laugh at.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that moral decay can be a cause of school violence. Case in point: back in my dad’s day, the Bible was read before class each and every day and prayer was lead by the teacher before school work began. If respect is not taught to a child and consequence is not learned, then no one should be surprised when lack of respect and lack of caring about consequences are what is dolled out to society.

For those who are not “in the know”, I’m going to quote for you what the Bible teaches. What used to be taught, front and center, in every classroom. What’s engraved at the roof of the Supreme Court:

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

5. Honor your father and your mother.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not lie.

10. You shall not covet (desire what others own that is not yours to take).

I know posting these ten well known rules will be “controversial”, but I ask a simple question. Christians are taught to fear God. Fear His might. Fear His power. Fear His ability to judge your soul once death comes, as it comes to us all. Christians know that they will have to face and answer to God Almighty. Therefore, I contend, they are much less likely to commit the act of murder.

I will end by quoting Jesus, who sets the example that all believing Christians follow:

“There is a saying, ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies.’ But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” – Luke 10:25-37

Romans 13:10: “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Now imagine that the killer of the Ohio shootings, T.J. Lane, who wrote the following poem (reportedly), quoted the above verses instead.

The Ohio school shooter. Pray for him.

“In a time long since, a time of repent, The Renaissance. In a quaint lonely town, sits a man with a frown. No job. No family. No crown. His luck had run out. Lost and alone. The streets were his home. His thoughts would solely consist of “why do we exist?” His only company to confide in was the vermin in the street. He longed for only one thing, the world to bow at his feet. They too should feel his secret fear. The dismal drear. His pain had made him sincere. He was better than the rest, all those ones he detests, within their castles, so vain. Selfish and conceited. They couldn’t care less about the peasents they mistreated. They were in their own world, it was a joyous one too. That castle, she stood just to do all she could to keep the peasents at bay, not the enemy away. They had no enemies in their filthy orgy. And in her, the castles every story, was just another chamber of Lucifer’s Laboratory. The world is a sandbox for all the wretched sinners. They simply create what they want and make themselves the winners. But the true winner, he has nothing at all. Enduring the pain of waiting for that castle to fall. Through his good deeds, the rats and the fleas. He will have for what he pleads, through the eradication of disease. So, to the castle he proceeds, like an ominous breeze through the trees. “Stay back!” The Guards screamed as they were thrown to their knees. “Oh God, have mercy, please!” The castle, she gasped and then so imprisoned her breath, to the shallow confines of her fragile chest. I’m on the lamb but I ain’t no sheep. I am Death. And you have always been the sod. So repulsive and so odd. You never even deserved the presence of God, and yet, I am here. Around your cradle I plod. Came on foot, without shod. How improper, how rude. However, they shall not mind the mud on my feet if there is blood on your sheet. Now! Feel death, not just mocking you. Not just stalking you but inside of you. Wriggle and writhe. Feel smaller beneath my might. Seizure in the Pestilence that is my scythe. Die, all of you.”