Full Version: Loving Day
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On June 12th, 1967, interracial couples became legal thanks to the Supreme Court decision entitled Loving v. Virginia. Before that date, states had the right to separate and punish interracial couples. These punishments included imprisonment of up to ten years. Violations included marriage, sex, and living together. This issue is a part of the civil rights movement that is too often forgotten. On June 12th of every year, celebrate your legal right to love a person of any race.
I think this is a very important day for us as a nation to remember.
What does this decision mean to you, personally?
While the decision does not effect me personally, I feel it is very important in the options it opened up for the future. The very reason there were miscegenation laws in the first place is the reason to be glad we've gotten rid of them: mixed race children. The single biggest way we can get rid of the remnants of racism in this country is by blurring the meaningless divisions, as it has been phrased, to "keep screwing until we're all the same color."
Personally, I think loving day would make a great replacement forHallmarkValentines Day. Even the name seems more romantic.
On June 12th, 1967, interracial couples became legal thanks to the Supreme Court decision entitled Loving v. Virginia. Before that date, states had the right to separate and punish interracial couples. These punishments included imprisonment of up to ten years. Violations included marriage, sex, and living together. This issue is a part of the civil rights movement that is too often forgotten. On June 12th of every year, celebrate your legal right to love a person of any race.
I think this is a very important day for us as a nation to remember.
What does this decision mean to you, personally?
While the decision does not effect me personally, I feel it is very important in the options it opened up for the future. The very reason there were miscegenation laws in the first place is the reason to be glad we've gotten rid of them: mixed race children. The single biggest way we can get rid of the remnants of racism in this country is by blurring the meaningless divisions, as it has been phrased, to "keep screwing until we're all the same color."
Personally, I think loving day would make a great replacement for
What does this decision mean to you, personally?
It is theoretically possible that, if my parents had lived somewhere other than California, they would have been in violation of the law. My father is Hispanic and my mother is "white" (or whatever term you want to use.) Although I'm sure these evil laws were used mostly against African-Americans, for obvious historical reasons, it's possible that they might have been used against Hispanics, too.
This decision is to celebrated, certainly, but it is also important to consider how long to took for the American culture to progress to such a point. 1967 wasn't that long ago; I remember 1967. I remember the first broadcast of the famous Uhura-and-Kirk kiss.
Is it silly of me to still romanticize about Star Trek as a symbol of a sane future, even though it is already outdated in some ways?
It is theoretically possible that, if my parents had lived somewhere other than California, they would have been in violation of the law. My father is Hispanic and my mother is "white" (or whatever term you want to use.) Although I'm sure these evil laws were used mostly against African-Americans, for obvious historical reasons, it's possible that they might have been used against Hispanics, too.
This decision is to celebrated, certainly, but it is also important to consider how long to took for the American culture to progress to such a point. 1967 wasn't that long ago; I remember 1967. I remember the first broadcast of the famous Uhura-and-Kirk kiss.
Is it silly of me to still romanticize about Star Trek as a symbol of a sane future, even though it is already outdated in some ways?
QUOTE(Victoria Silverwolf @ Jun 3 2007, 11:24 PM) 
What does this decision mean to you, personally?
It is theoretically possible that, if my parents had lived somewhere other than California, they would have been in violation of the law. My father is Hispanic and my mother is "white" (or whatever term you want to use.) Although I'm sure these evil laws were used mostly against African-Americans, for obvious historical reasons, it's possible that they might have been used against Hispanics, too.
It is theoretically possible that, if my parents had lived somewhere other than California, they would have been in violation of the law. My father is Hispanic and my mother is "white" (or whatever term you want to use.) Although I'm sure these evil laws were used mostly against African-Americans, for obvious historical reasons, it's possible that they might have been used against Hispanics, too.
I was thinking the same thing regarding Mr P. I believe every person born from (natural) Cuban parents must be at least 1/7 black because of the history of that Island. The cutoff was 1/8 so how did they make this distinction? TLAR (that looks about right)? "No, no, that person is far too dark for you. Now, off to prison, strumpet!" Good grief. It is hard to believe that these sorts of laws were on the books until so recently.
Sounds very castesque.I'm curious what the laws were like in other countries during that time? Weird how some longstanding social conventions can violate reason so much they are almost counter-survival. The more diverse the gene pool, the (usually) stronger the progeny. We always joked that our kids are really really healthy because we come from completely different portions of the globe, but there might be a bit of truth to it as well.
QUOTE(Mrs. Pigpen @ Jun 4 2007, 06:25 AM)
I was thinking the same thing regarding Mr P. I believe every person born from (natural) Cuban parents must be at least 1/7 black because of the history of that Island. The cutoff was 1/8 so how did they make this distinction? TLAR (that looks about right)? "No, no, that person is far too dark for you. Now, off to prison, strumpet!" Good grief. It is hard to believe that these sorts of laws were on the books until so recently.
That, I think, is an important point.
I've often wondered at occassional mental estrangement of blacks and whites in this country.
What may be hard to believe to you is simply taken as common knowledge in my family and most other black families.
When many people think of racism or civil rights their minds go back to the beginning of the more recent movement (the 50's), but that was mostly laying the legal framework. Little Rock was made an example of, but much of the nation was very slow to get the message. Wallace was standing in the school house door in '63.
The actual change in the country came in the late sixties and early seventies.
There's a famous picture of black reporter Ted Landsmark being attacked by a man with an American flag over school busing.
That was in '76.
This decision to me is just one more reminder of just how recent America's shameful past was. It is a signal as much as Pearl Harbor day that the strides we have made must be defended by vigilance and understanding.
We always say never forget...
I simply add we should not forget either the "What" or the "When"
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