MARRIAGE EQUALITY NATIONWIDE

[Anima]

Your black ass should realize that your civil rights were approved by congressional vote in the 13th-15th amendments and then subsequently ratified by 2/3 majorities in the State congresses such that 2/3 majority of the States agreed to ratify the amendments in order to be enacted as law.  In short your basic status and subsequent rights as an American citizen were a matter of public debate and voted upon and approved at the State level.

The idea being, and the sickening part, that the government shouldn't be required to force people to treat others fairly. The fact that the government has to constantly be petitioned to protect the rights of minorities doesn't speak well of many of our citizens.

The legislation wasn't granting rights, it was to prevent others from continuing to trample them.

I am sorry I do not follow. The legislation granted rights. Blacks were neither recognized as people (other than the 3/5th compromise) or as citizens. They were not privy to any more rights at law than a cow. By means of the amendments ratified by the States they were granted their freedom, citizenship, and rights.

By not given are you referring to, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the inalienable rights endowed by the creator that you do not believe in? You have as much inalienable right to life, liberty, and happiness as nature allows or denies. In turth you do not have a right to life. However you do not have an obligation to give up your life. You do not have a right to liberty; but you do not have an obligation to sacrifice your liberty. You do not have a right to happiness and you do not have an obligation to sacrifice your happiness.

This is not to say the state cannot take it from you for the sake of society. Only that you are not obligated to surrender any of them for another without a reason. Otherwise the only rights you have as a citizen are enumerated or substantively defined in the Constitution or if you are not a UN conspiracist the UN Charter.