What century?

February 26, 2003 11:16 AM

Ohio to approve 14th Amendment — 135 years latePeople think I'm kidding when I say it's the 19th century in my neighborhood.
posted by elgoose (18 comments total)

elgoose: I'm just a hour down I-75 south of Dayton and am convinced that all of Ohio is in a time warp.

This statement is classic Ohio politics:

"Even as we have achieved so much, Ohio and the General Assembly have also made mistakes," said Sen. Mark Mallory, D-Cincinnati, who sponsored the resolution. "We can’t let Ohio continue to have this embarrassing distinction."

Another embarassing Ohio distraction: The Bengals
posted by VelvetHellvis at 11:30 AM on February 26, 2003

Mississippi finally got around to reversing their original rejection of the 13th amandment (abolishing slavery) on March 16th, 1995. It was a proud moment, let me tell you.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:31 AM on February 26, 2003

Spell check? What's that?
posted by Pollomacho at 11:33 AM on February 26, 2003

Spell check -- 20th century technology.
posted by elgoose at 11:41 AM on February 26, 2003

Wow, Ohio is more progressive than a good chunk of the U.S. Supreme Court.
posted by subgenius at 12:02 PM on February 26, 2003

20th century technology

Sorry, that's one thang yuh don't larn much 'bout in Mis-sipy.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:05 PM on February 26, 2003

It doesn't matter if individual states approve ammendments, they have the force of federal law after 3/4 of the states approve, which happened. Ohio approving or disapproving of an ammendment after it has been approved at the national level has absolutely no effect on anyone, whatsoever.
posted by pjgulliver at 12:16 PM on February 26, 2003

Symbolic gesture.
posted by tolkhan at 12:47 PM on February 26, 2003

Exactly tolkhan, that's what makes it so sad that Mississippi and Ohio have waited this long to get around to ratifying these amendments.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:11 PM on February 26, 2003

The text of the 14th Amendment with annotations

Some history about the amendment

On July 28, 1868, former slaves became citizens when the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. Known as the "Reconstruction Amendment," it forbids any state to deny to any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws." With its broadly phrased language, the Fourteenth Amendment continues to provide a basis for civil rights claims in the United States.

To me, 1868 was not just another time, it was another world, one that is alien to us today. No plane flight. No penicillin. No vote for women. No electric light. Indoor plumbing? None to speak of. U.S. Grant elected president in 1868. Edison applied for his first patent in 1868—the Edison Vote Recorder. In 1867, Marx published Das Kapital. In 1869, the doctrine of papal infallibility was established.

And here’s Ohio, finally getting around to passing legislation that guarantees equal protection under the law. Symbolic of something, I’d say.
posted by elgoose at 1:59 PM on February 26, 2003

Any political jurisdiction has archaic laws on its books. Sometimes they're just funny - like in Toronto it's illegal to drag a dead horse down Yonge Street during business hours. No one bothers to do anything about them because it's a waste of resources to go through the repeal process. But something like these particular pieces of legislation do have symbolic value, so sure, they might as well go ahead. But it doesn't have any practical effect. And it doesn't mean that the government now in existence is backwards.
posted by orange swan at 4:02 PM on February 26, 2003

What's the point? We all know that the US Constitution doesn't mean anything anymore.

Try carrying a gun around. So much for the Right To Bear Arms, no?
posted by cinematique at 7:17 PM on February 26, 2003

Good lord. Why would it be "sad" that Ohio and Mississippi passed these symbolic laws? That doesn't make any sense. The potential war with Iraq makes me sad, as does the whole situation. Stuff that has a relevant negative impact on the world and leads to a loss of life and a violation of human rights has a much stronger possibly of making me sad - and my sadness would be perfectly legitimate, under most such circumstances. Now, melancholy I could understand in relation to these late laws, melancholy stemming from a wish for better days that might have been. But sad? No excuse for it. To admit to be sad is to admit to being without a clue as to real human tragedy.
posted by raysmj at 7:44 PM on February 26, 2003

>Try carrying a gun around. So much for the Right To Bear Arms, no?

Please don't beat that dead horse, unless you're part of a militia.
posted by shepd at 2:17 AM on February 27, 2003

It may be the 19th century where you live but it's the 1950s where I live.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 5:48 AM on February 27, 2003

Um, ray, my post was:

that's what makes it so sad that Mississippi and Ohio have waited this long to get around to ratifying these amendments.

Its great that they finally did it, but sad that they waited so long. We all know Mississippi's history and why it did take them so long to ratify the 13th amendment. I'm afraid racism is alive, well and pertinent right in your own neighborhood today. It certainly is in Cincinnati, which is why it is also sad that the Ohio legislature is just getting around to showing support for the 14th. One issue at a time ray, one issue at a time.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:51 AM on February 27, 2003

People think I'm kidding when I say it's the 19th century in my neighborhood.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Except it's not my neighborhood anymore, as I high-tailed it outa there immediately after college (I'm actually driving back there tomorrow and will see if this ratification has changed things). VelvetHellvis, I grew up a few miles away from you (Middletown). I had no idea there were this many people from southern Ohio on Metafilter - so how did the rest of you learn how to type?
posted by soyjoy at 7:59 AM on February 27, 2003

"Please don't beat that dead horse, unless you're part of a militia." - shepd

I'll beat whichever horse I feel needs a beating.

By your measure, the abolitionists should've been told "stop beating a dead issue..." right?

:p
posted by cinematique at 7:30 PM on February 27, 2003