Advice columnist Dan Savage, taking the QSAT test on Planet Out. Question: If you could take over anyone’s body for an hour, a la “Being John Malkovich” who would you pick?”

 

On the Supreme Court ruling in the Texas sodomy case:

Writing for the majority Justice Anthony M. Kennedy called the ban on gay sex an "unconstitutional violation of privacy." 

"[It} demeans the lives of homosexual persons," Kennedy wrote.

The ruling negates not only the sodomy law in Texas, but those in a dozen other states. Three states -- Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas which have laws targeting only gays.  Another nine states -- Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia -- have sodomy laws that apply to all adults, gay or straight.  

The case involve two Houston men, John Lawrence and Tyron Garner.  They pleaded no contest to breaking the sodomy law in 1998, after police broke into Lawrence's home in search of an armed intruder and discovered the two men engaged in intercourse. 

No intruder was found and police later said the tip there was an intruder came from an anonymous source, who turned out ot be a spiteful neighbor who was then arrested for filing a false report.

Both men were arrested under the Texas sodomy statute and imprisoned overnight. Following their conviction they were fined $200 each and ordered to pay court costs. 

The convictions bar both men from holding several types of jobs in Texas. If they move to other states, they could be required to register as sex offenders. 

The men "are entitled to respect for their private lives," Justice Kennedy wrote in his decision.

"The state cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime," he said.

2. FREEDOM (see what other candidates said)
The enactment of Patriot Act I is a dangerous erosion of civil liberties in the United States. The proposed Patriot Act II is even more frightening. The purpose of both pieces of legislations seems to be the stifling of dissent rather than improving security in the U.S. If elected would you revisit the Patriot Act with the view of revising or repealing it? If we cannot speak without fear, we aren't living in a democracy.
--Bonnie Mulligan, Supervisor (June 11, 2003; Lanham, MD)

Dear Bonnie,

I am the only presidential candidate to vote against the misnamed "Patriot Act."  I am proud of that vote.  As President, I will push to revoke it.  And I will challenge any Patriot II sequel, because I know that America is a great country when Americans feel free to dissent, to advocate for reform -- Americans like Tom Paine, the abolitionists, the suffragists, the early union organizers, Cesar Chavez, Rachel Carson, the women’s movement, Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America appropriately mobilized and increased security.  But we must never repeal our precious Bill of Rights, or hand the Attorney General unfettered power to jail, wiretap and monitor our private communications and personal records.  In a December 2001 speech, I argued that the "Patriot Act" and related measures had effectively revoked half of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights: the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments.  In Congress, I am now drafting a bill to repeal the "Patriot Act" and restore civil liberties essential to a functioning democracy.  As someone who participated with MoveOn in building the current antiwar movement, I couldn't agree with you more that "if we cannot speak without fear, we aren't living in a democracy."

--Dennis Kucinich

It is clear that the Administration led this nation to war (and manipulated the 2002 elections) on the basis of a pretext.  I believe this deception exceeds the magnitude of Watergate, and if driven home by the Democratic nominee, could defeat Bush and usher in a Democratic tidal wave.  Eventually, if we keep fighting for it, the truth will come out.  I promise you that I will continue to speak truth to power, day after day.  If we do not unmask the Iraq deception, they will do it again.

-- Dennis Kucinich

Dem. Candidate Howard Dean, in his opening letter to the ‘pre-primary’ on moveon.org:

Too many in my party have failed to stand up to this administration's assault on our country's ideals. Let's show them that the era of conservative intimidation is over. People in Washington worry about "electability"-but they forget why they were elected in the first place. Silence equals defeat. Victory requires educating, organizing, and convincing.

Howard Dean in response to the question about the Patriot Act:

Too many in my party voted for the Patriot Act. They believed that it was more important to show bipartisan support for President Bush during a moment of crisis than to stand up for the basic values of our constitution. They trusted this President, knowing full well that John Ashcroft was the Attorney General. Only one senator had the courage to vote against the Patriot Act--- Senator Russ Feingold, and he deserves credit for doing so. We need more Democrats like Senator Feingold—Democrats who are willing to stand up for what is right, and stand against this President’s reckless disregard for our civil liberties. We don’t need John Ashcroft—or any other Attorney General—rifling through our library records. As Americans, we need to stand up—all of us—and ensure that our laws reflect our values. As President, I will repeal those parts of the Patriot Act that undermine our constitutional rights, and will stand against any further attempts to expand the government’s reach at the expense of our civil liberties.