Republican Rep. Kriesel will oppose anti–gay marriage amendment

Good Luck trying to convince the haters/bigots…..they’re playing to thier HATE BASE aka The American Taliban…..thier version of Christian Sharia Law…… if this ammendment passes…..I know, I for one, will NEVER go to MN….they’ll never get my tourism dollars. Hey GOP – WHERE ARE THE JOBS?????

I applaud the bravery to stand up to the power of hate. I am hoping that this single most moral act of late will be a dominoes affect for others to stand up for what is morally correct which is to NOT allow this to happen!

Thank you for standing up for the most basic American principles of freedom and equality, You are a true leader.

I’m shocked beyond belief! Not only is he speaking out against this, he’s speaking with passion about how wrong this is. I’m calling his office today and thanking him. I hope others do the same.

Well, this amendment is not about gay people really. It’s about putting something on the ballot to motivate the evangelical voters to come to the polls in 2012 to vote for Republicans. That’s it, pure and simple. These organizations like the MN Family Council that are pushing the amendment are not concerned with families and probably don’t even care much about whether gay people can marry. They are Republican voter mobilization organizations. They get their money from the same people who fund the Republican party and all its related “think” tanks, etc. This is an extremely cynical move to retain Republican power in the MN legislature. If gay people are hurt by it, who cares, as long as the Republicans stay in control.

@Ambrose

I say that people like the MFC actually do Care about the actual content of the bill, but its the people in the house and senate that are under the idea that oooo good, let them get the bad wrap for the hurting people, lets get them Republicans roll on in!

this sort of Evil will blow up in the end in the Republican faces sooner or later we hope.

God Bless him for his vote. Unfortunately, the vote may have more to do with political pragmatism than anything else. He won a close election in 2010 and this vote would likely help mobilize his base. I would like to see some of the Republicans from places like Brainerd and Southern and Western Minnesota stand up for freedom as this represenative did. Oh, and by the way, where is the job creation this party ran on. Tax cuts for the rich have never equaled job creation, only another way to make the rich richer. Funny how they never open their personal tax statements to show us how the cuts their businesses received really never translated to a buttressed personal wealth.

Rep. Kriesel I applaud you for your actions and pasionate stance on this issue. Be careful though. Many in the republican party may call you unpatriotic despite what you have given for this country already. Remember what your party did to Max Cleland?

Is Kriesel about to get kicked out of the GOP?

Snark aside, the core issue is minority rights aren’t supposed to be subject to majority vote.

In our civil society, which is based upon a Judeo-Christian cultural and moral hybrid, marriage between a man and a woman has always been defined and recognized as the only legitimate form of marriage. The same sex “marriage” movement is an attempt at the complete repudiation of Jewish and Christian moral teachings. It is, prima facie, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian bigotry.

After the protests in California against Morman churches, the invasion of a church in Michigan, the harassment and vandalism against traditionalists, the progs and homosexualists should be more circumspect about who they call “bigots” and “haters”.

Kudos to John. Just say no to the marriage cops!
Cheers, Joe Mustich, CT Justice of the Peace, USA.

Don’t worry, Nachman. You’re still the hateful bigot.

Nachman, while society and culture may be based on religion, there is a REASON why we have separation of church and state. No one is attempting to sabotage your moral standing, and how someone else chooses to live their personal life should have no bearing on how you choose to live yours. People sticking their noses in one another’s business from BOTH sides of the fence is the only real problem. From a religious perspective, why do you care what the government says about marriage, so long as you and/or your church are not forced to endorse it personally? I think EricF said it best: “minority rights aren’t supposed to be subject to majority vote.”

@nachman: Don’t worry. If the ban doesn’t pass, you’ll never be required to marry someone of the same sex, so you can feel free to practice your own religious beliefs in your own life however you see fit. Personally my religion recognizes and embraces same sex unions, so without the ban, we can both practice our religions as we see fit. That seems pretty equitable, no?

A MAJORITY should NEVER be allowed to pass laws against a minority.
That is not freedom.

The arguments against marriage equality are so feeble that people like Nachman are reduced to inane attempts to change what the word bigotry actually means.

Bigoted attitudes; intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.

You hold no tolerance for those who do NOT believe in your religion, and force the constitutional law and freedom from religion in our laws.

Please follow your moral ground as you seem fit, I will follow mine. I will support NON religion in marriage!

For I am a straight person in a marriage, with zero religious ties and vows. Shall my marriage be null and voided now?

It’s the year 2011, not 1787. Things change as society develops and integrates. It’s absolutely ridiculous that this subject is put on the forefront of the House committee. How about you start working on something that actually has some effect on the people of Minnesota! John Kriesel is a hero for making emphasis on what really matters and for noticing that things have changed in the past 214 years!

Why would churches be trying to prevent marriages of people who aren’t even their congregants? Wouldn’t their energy and money be better spent helping the poor or at least concerning themselves with their own church matters?

Kriesel…my husband was with you in Kosovo and he thought the world of you then. I think the world of you now for your stance on this issue. WAY to GO!!!!!!!!!

A simple “thank you” is not enough for the stand that you have taken. You continue to be a brave, heroic soldier: only now, you are fighting for a different type of freedom.

all this will do is pit neighbor against neighbor……..3yrs later in CA, and there are LONG TIME neighbors who NO LONGER speak to one another….it will do NOTHING but Cause HARD Bitter feelings….and add your state to the list of Bigots/and discriminators in History ….is that want you want MN?

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Thank your for standing up for American values. Now, over 30 + countries offer same-sex marriage equality or unions leaving America behind on equality.

Thank you for putting ethics before votes!

Hmmm…when one has been wounded, he or she views everything through the eyes of that wounding. For those who only see the anti-gay marriage amendment as hate, my guess is that you’ve been hurt by a lot of people and the way they have approached this topic. I’m sorry for your pain and what you’ve been through. For people to disagree with same sex marriage doesn’t mean that it’s hate. Sometimes it can be, but not always. I’m a Christian, and you can hate me for that if you want-I don’t care. I wasn’t always a Christian. I had my share of addictions and confusions in life until I came to find Jesus-not just “religion,” but the real Jesus. Something changes in a person’s heart and mind when they meet Him. What I once valued changed when I met Him. I used to hate people, I used to be angry all the time, I was bitter, and I was drawn to same sex relationships. (And no I’m not saying all homosexuals have all of those traits so don’t misunderstand me). I’m just saying, from the other side, life is different for me now and I know what it is to experience real love. God didn’t intend for people to be in same-sex relationships and I can see that now. I am in favor of this amendment, not because I don’t like homosexuals or lesbians, but because I know what marriage is meant to be now, and it’s not what I once thought it was supposed to be.

[...] May 6, 2011 by seanolsen 0 Comments Sen. Julianne Ortman cast the lone dissenting Republican vote in the Senate Rules Committee Friday morning against the Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage.  That’s the kind of leadership we need more of in the Republican caucus.  Kudos to her and Rep. John Kriesel, who has also come out against the amendment. [...]

Mr. Kriesel, If you’re for “fairness” and “everyone should have the same rights”, then where do you stand on getting the same health care coverage for non-married heterosexual couples as same sex partners? This is discrimination against non-married heterosexual couples that are in a loving, repestful, commited relationship the same as would be described about same sex partners. Why not make everything fair across the board?!

@ Hannah…..you are brave for commenting the way you did. That’s pretty cool. There will probably be tons of name-calling and spiteful comments coming your way. It’s ok to believe the way you want to too. Geez, you are flipped brave. :-)