Lone Star State vs. the Marriage State

I have maintained for years that nothing Texas politicians, of whatever stripe, can do would surprise me. Texans are notorious for going that extra mile, especially the "long, green one."

But you have to wonder -- what is it with Texans and voting anyway? The Lone Star State's politicians have a tendency to over-reach in this area, such as letting the dead vote, sending the Rangers out to round up minority legislators who high-tailed it out of Dodge to keep from voting, redistricting the entire state so that only Republicans can cast votes that count, and -- whipping up a Resolution to be voted on in November that is so anti-family it bans marriage entirely!

Now, that surprises me.

They don't have "gays" in Texas -- they have "queers." If you ain't straight in the Lone Star State, you're queer. Simple as that. The very thought of queers prancing in and messing up a union that Gawd created for one man and one woman finally drove them over the edge and they passed HJR 6, which amends Article 1 of the Texas Constitution to add Section 32, as follows:

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by adding Section 32 to read as follows:
Sec. 32

(a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.

(b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.

SECTION 2. This state recognizes that through the designation of guardians, the appointment of agents, and the use of private contracts, persons may adequately and properly appoint guardians and arrange rights relating to hospital visitation, property, and the entitlement to proceeds of life insurance policies without the existence of any legal status identical or similar to marriage.

SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2005. The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

Wow. Since "marriage" is the only thing I can think of that is identical to, or similar to, "marriage," the vote on this little jewel should be interesting.

But then, isn't everything in Texas interesting?