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Ralf Wyman

Minneapolis, MN
Commenter for
3 years 51 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 05/23/13 at 09:02 am in response to Minnesotans United dropped $2 million on gay-marriage effort

For me the weirdest political argument of the 2013 session re: marriage was the "Don't erase my family" pink signs from MN for Marriage. Glennie more or less goes there too.

What is it about expanding the range of possible family recognition that makes existing families 'erased' or 'ended'? It just sounds like pure animus and disgust to me: "If those dirty gays down the street get married, then my beautiful marriage to my wife is ruined!" That's the only, ummm, sense I can make of the...

Posted on 05/09/13 at 10:36 am in response to Opposing same-sex marriage has made Pastor Jerry McAfee a lightning rod

There are LGBT people, and of course many, many who are allies to the LGBT community, who are also working daily - right now - throughout the Twin Cities, and Minnesota, and nationally to overcome the racial equity gaps that Pastor McAfee clearly calls out.

Sometimes we in the LGBT advocacy arena have had to set aside the places where we disagree, so that we can work towards a more equitable future for all of Minnesotans. I hope Pastor McAfee comes to understand that that the black...

Posted on 05/07/13 at 02:50 pm in response to Gay-marriage bill has votes to pass Minnesota House, sponsor Clark says

We need to have a serious conversation about what it means to be a public servant. A NY state town clerk came to Minnesota to say that issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples is "against their religion."

To which I say: swear to uphold the constitution and the laws of New York (or whichever state) or quit! Good golly, the freedom to practice your religion is a private matter between you and your deity(s). If the thing you are ordered to do so offends your conscience, you should...

Posted on 05/07/13 at 02:29 pm in response to Gay marriage: breaking down the (potential) House vote

Delaware is in the midst of a floor debate and vote today. Freedom to Marry is seen as likely to pass there, before the Minnesota Lege finishes it's work.

Now, what Delaware does may not create direct pressure, but it sure builds on the sense that the wave is moving forward, and MN can miss it or go with it. I sure hope we go with it!!

Posted on 04/18/13 at 03:33 pm in response to Gay-marriage supporters making their big push at Capitol

It was a monumentally poor weather day today, April 18, at the Capitol in St Paul. I was among dozens and dozens of freedom to marry volunteers who showed up, as we promised, for 9am shifts outdoors, to welcome and assist a t OutFront Lobby Day.

By 11:30, hundreds of people, many with umbrellas and insulated boots, were making their way in brisk, sleety winds to the Capitol for the noon rally. I have no skill in crowd estimation, but a lot of people were there. A solid crowd.

...

Posted on 12/11/12 at 09:15 am in response to Minnesota leaders off to a rocky start at legislative ‘preview’

Maybe Hann was smirking because his new gig on the board of directors for the Minnesota Association of Health Underwriters means he's figuring out how to monetize his policy work?

Now, there is just a suggestion of impropriety at this point so I may be overstating the situation. But MPR and MinnPost have both reported on his and Rep. Steve Gottwalt's work to move thousands of MinnesotaCare clients over to private insurance. And tah-dah, both now have insurance licenses, and Hann has...

Posted on 11/08/12 at 10:49 am in response to Election reaction roundup, Part 2

When Jeff Johnson says "I think it's hard to narrow it down to one or two things that we have to fix" what I hear is "I think it's hard to narrow it down to one or two things that we are willing to fix."

We're seeing this on the national stage, too. The GOP lost ground in the US Senate, failed to take the White House, and lost big on marriage across the country. Will they revise their views as a result?

I did see that Lindsey Graham has at least noticed that their immigration...

Posted on 11/08/12 at 01:27 pm in response to Election reaction roundup, Part 2

I agree. But I think we can do both. What I'd like to see is for the MN Lege to pass the bulk of it's economic package before the end of the session, and be advancing a marriage bill through committees so that it can pass shortly before session-end. That would be the way to work this, IMO.

GOP lobbyist and former Pawlenty admin senior official Tom Hanson said at a Wednesday debrief that Democrats should go for it this coming year. He seemed very sincere in saying "you've earned this...

Posted on 11/08/12 at 01:37 pm in response to GOP legislative 'losers' and DFL 'winners' take decidedly different tacks

of personal responsibility, once again flatly refuses to accept responsibility.

"Zellers repeatedly said the amendments weren’t 'our message.'" Really? Your caucus passed those bills. You may want to run like mad away from Broadkorb, but he's all too believable when he says the GOP caucus planned those amendments as vote-getters.

I don't doubt that loosing stings. Maybe when their sore butts cool from the spanking, they'll take another look and see their own responsibility in...

Posted on 10/08/12 at 03:41 pm in response to Voting amendment debate produces familiar questions — but no agreement on the answers

Looking at the impressive list of other states that have had their Photo ID laws challenged in court, and the many issues those courts have identified, makes me seriously lack the confidence McGrath projects.
Voter ID laws are on hold in multiple states, implementation has been rocky at best, and all along, no-one has produced evidence that the sort of fraud that is being alleged that Photo ID could 'solve' is happening.
It seems like a massive circus, a big bureaucratic expense...