I've never fully gotten the "states rights" issue when it comes to some things that I consider human rights.

The big issue is the same sex marriage issue. I believe a number of politicians on both sides have indicated that one way to solve the turmoil around this issue is to call it a states rights issue.

In other words -- it's okay to discriminate, depending on the state. I pity the gay people in those states that feel justified in doing that.

When it comes to matters of civil rights, there should be no question that all the states under our union will maintain those civil rights which have been enacted by our federal system. (We probably still need to enact same sex marriage as such a civil right.)

The other thing that gets me is that the opposition to same sex marriage takes religious belief tones rather than legal rights tones. That being the case, it would seem funny for a state to oppose sex marriage on these religious tones. It would appear, then, that the state has taken a church position on the issue. Where's the separation?