Dancing in the Moonlight

(Significantly revised 12 August 2007.)

Caterpillar: Who... are... you?
Alice: Why, I hardly know, sir. I've changed so much since this morning, you see...
Caterpillar: I do not see. Explain yourself.
Alice: I'm afraid I can't explain myself, you see, because I'm not myself, you know.
Caterpillar: I do not know.
Alice: I can't put it any more clearly, sir, because it isn't clear to me.

Are you really interested, or are you just poking your nose in places where it might not belong? It doesn't particularly matter to me, but one should really think through their reasons for going places and doing things.

For the most part, this journal is friends-only. There are rare exceptions, and will be noted as Public Posts.

In addition, I employ the use of filters for some posts. Here is a link to the Sorting Poll for those interested.

Dancing in the Moonlight My primary journal. You're here already.
Kolchak Reporting (mainly a fandom journal)
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Me at LiveJournal
Yet Another Blog

I have often referred to this phrase from the Declaration of Independence in my discussions on marriage equality. In response to comments I made in another journal, someone recently questioned whether or not the Declaration could be used in legal arguments.

From Wikipedia (that world-renowned source of reliability :D):

The phrase "pursuit of happiness" appeared in the 1967 Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), which focused on an anti-miscegenation statute. Chief Justice Warren wrote:

The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.

The phrase is used in the depression-era case Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923), which is seen as the seminal case interpreting the "liberty" interest of the Due Process clause of the 14th amendment as guaranteeing, among other things, a right to the pursuit of happiness, and, consequently, a right to privacy.

If Loving v Virginia cannot be considered relevant in any question of marriage equality, then I do not know what can be. As a member of the pagan clergy, I fully support the right of any committed, adult persons to engage in the rites of marriage (regardless of gender sexual orientation or, for that matter, number.)

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

~~ Bene Gesserit maxim (From Frank Herbert's DUNE series)

And in closing, I would like each and every one of you to read FDR's First Inaugural Address, containing that immortal phrase: "... the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ..."

As those of you who stalked me followed me over here from livejournal already know, I use group filters for many of my posts.

Here is the current version of the Sorting Poll (sorry, they were all out of hats). Should you later change your mind, you can retake the poll and change your responses, but as I may not notice this, also drop me a comment here letting me know.

Poll #253 Sorting Poll
Open to: All, results viewable to: None

Do I know you in Real Life?

To which post groups would you like access?

BTW Restricted - please indicate someone from my Flist who can vouch you

TIW Restricted - please indicate someone from my Flist who can vouch you

Sylum Clan - you really should friend nightstalker for these, but let me know your clan name/character.

Some questions should be obvious, even to me, but sometimes I don't recognise screen names.

If you do not know what BTW, TIW or Sylum Clan refer to, you may safely skip those questions.

As noted in the first two of those, I am asking for someone who can vouch for you - I may already have you sorted into these, I might not. the request for a vouch is something new, I know, but I've been reevaluating some of the online interactions I've had over the years, and am being just a tad more cautious.

Sylum Clan members - please also friend nightstalker as that is my fandom and Clan Journal.

ALL comments to this poll are screened, and will be removed once they are answered. Any questions you do not wish to make here may be emailed to me at moondancer at nemedcuculatii dot org.