Why the gay marriage debate is over (Des Moines, Cambridge: home, neighborhood)

[Babie_T_Nice]

Anti-gay protest spurs counterdemonstration | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register

"More than 200 students gathered at the northeast corner of Lincoln High School's campus Tuesday afternoon to counter a protest by about a half-dozen anti-gay pickets from a controversial Kansas church.

Zach Toillion, a Lincoln senior, used the social networking Web site Facebook to urge students to protest across from the pickets, who stood along Southwest Ninth Street. The students carried signs that read "God loves all" and "unity" and cheered at honking cars."

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It's a generational change. If 200 Des Moines high schoolers show up to protect gay marriage, you can bet that legislators across the heartland see the writing on the wall. Des Moines isn't Berkeley or Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's frickin' Des Moines.

Those Lincoln High Schoolers make me proud to live in Iowa.

"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain."

[jjbradleynyc]

Exciting times!! How times are changing.

I've been talking about this for a while with my friends and family. As the generational shift occurs and the young folks grow older, the attitudes change. Eventually, gay marriage will be just as normal and commonplace as hetero marriage in this country.

[Luke9686]

Those people are lunitics. I used to live right down the street from their church when I lived in Kansas. Sad thing is they have children participating in these protests. They actually protested a Sonic fast food place once. I have no idea why.

[McBain II]

The debate was over the second the court ruled the ban was unconstitutional.

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by Babie_T_Nice

It's a generational change. If 200 Des Moines high schoolers show up to protect gay marriage, you can bet that legislators across the heartland see the writing on the wall. Des Moines isn't Berkeley or Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's frickin' Des Moines.
."

Not only that, but it's Lincoln High. I'd expect that kind of behavior out of Roosevelt or maybe some of the suburban schools but Lincoln is in more of a socially conservative blue collar area. I doubt that would've happened when I went there even ten years ago.

[QwertyFarmer]

It makes me want to cry to think that someday, and frankly someday soon I too could marry my partner of 9 years. To be able to say to someone someday "We are celebrating our # wedding anniversary", to some it may seem silly and have no meaning, but to be able to show pride in the love you share with someone else is a freedom we have yet to have as openly as most of our hetro friends. I am so very grateful to be living at a time in history where my love will no longer be a crime, or discriminated against in the many ways it is now. If it bothers some of you still that two people who love eachother will have the same rights as you, I suggest you spend more time at home and watch Fox & Friends.

[kidyankee764]

Ah yes, the gay marriage debate is over. The only folks I know who are dead against it are those above 40. Of course this doesn't represent everyone, but I see it as a trend/pattern.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Luke9686

Those people are lunitics. I used to live right down the street from their church when I lived in Kansas. Sad thing is they have children participating in these protests. They actually protested a Sonic fast food place once. I have no idea why.

Consider what fast food joints bring to the neighborhood: cheap food = certain clientele = loitering = legal issues. Not to mention, Americans don't need anymore fattening, cheap, processed junk. I feel it is completely unAmerican to accept Walmarts and McDonalds when everyone knows darn well that they put our fellow neighbors who own mom & pop shops right out of business. They aren't lunatics - they are health conscious, and well aware of the repercussions of allowing yet another chain to dominate the area. Good for them.

And yes, the gay marriage debate is over. The only folks I know who are dead against it are those above 40. Of course this doesn't represent everyone, but I see it as a trend/pattern.

[waccamatt]

I will definitely be taking a side trip to Iowa the next time I'm in the Midwest. Kudos to progress in the heartland!

[iowegian]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Consider what fast food joints bring to the neighborhood: cheap food = certain clientele = loitering = legal issues. Not to mention, Americans don't need anymore fattening, cheap, processed junk. I feel it is completely unAmerican to accept Walmarts and McDonalds when everyone knows darn well that they put our fellow neighbors who own mom & pop shops right out of business. They aren't lunatics - they are health conscious, and well aware of the repercussions of allowing yet another chain to dominate the area. Good for them.

They weren't protesting Sonic, they were protesting against gay rights at a Sonic. They've also protested at a Nickelback concert and at my high school's graduation a couple years ago. They are insane.