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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 2003)
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Improve Concentration High Caffeine Coffee nealys.com By Jennifer Peter THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Battaeion Classified Advertising • Easy • Affordable • Effective For information, call 345-05*9 BOSTON — In the nation’s most far-reaching decision of its kind, Massachusetts’ highest court declared Tuesday that the state constitution guarantees gay couples the right to marry — a ruling celebrated with a popping of champagne corks and the planning of spring weddings. “Without a doubt, this is the happiest day of our lives,” said Gloria Bailey, who with her part ner of 32 years was among the seven gay couples who had sued the state in 2001 for refusing to issue them marriage licenses. In its 4-3 decision, the Supreme Judicial Court gave the Legislature six months to rewrite the state’s marriage laws for the benefit of gay couples. Although courts in other states have issued similar rul ings, some legal experts said this one goes further in its emphatic language and appears to suggest that gay couples should be offered nothing less than mar riage itself — and not a lesser alternative such as civil unions, which are available in Vermont. The ruling was another mile stone in a year that has seen a sig nificant expansion of gay rights around the world, including a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June striking a Texas ban on gay sex. Canadian courts also legalized gay marriage over the summer. “We declare that barring an individual from the protec tions, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage solely because that person would marry a person of the same sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution,” Chief Justice Knowledge is power. Pass it on. Join us, and you’ll find yourself in an environment where knowledge and learning are shared. An environment where you can expect to learn from your colleagues’ ideas. And where they expect you to contribute your own. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. ey.com/us/careers =U Ernst & Young Quality In Everything We Do Justice Departm to check reliabilit) of police armor Margaret Marshall wrote. The decision prompted com plex legal questions about the next step and about when the nation’s first gay marriage licenses will be issued, if ever. Republican Gov. Mitt Romney denounced the ruling but said there is little the state could do beyond pursuing a con stitutional amendment. But the soonest a constitu tional amendment could be put on the ballot is 2006, potentially opening a window of a few years in which gay marriage licenses could be granted. WASHINGTON (A Justice Department an intensive reviewTm,; the reliability of armor, which officials sa|a lose strength over put officers’ lives in The initiative will vests made with the bit resistant material Zylon.it ufactured byToyoboCo.Lt( Japan and used in many! of body armor Chuck Canterbury, presis of the Fraternal Police, said in a to Attorney General Ashcroft that the company acknowledged Zylonmayte 20 percent of its in just two years. The w carry a five-year warranty. Ashcroft said in a statens that the review is “ensure the reliability of to! resistant vests wornbytftt as they patrol our streets keep our communities sals Analysis: Hispanit less likely to saw money regularly WASHINGTON Hispanics are less regularly than Americans« because they are younger, have lower and are less proficient English, an analysis sugges: The lack of savings tributes to a gap in net between Hispanic an American households, Stephen Brobeck, exed director of the Co Federation of America. The federation and M Mac said Monday joining with Hispanic groups! create a program kno "Hispanic America Sav expansion of a program as “America Saves,” whi enrolled 13,000 people ti develop savings goa/s plan to achieve them. H America Saves will f information in Englis Spanish, a newsletter andh advice from registered fe cial planners. Gri T ii C e Florida protest South / surprise goverm itime la dating I used su compla the fact conspir How issue. F the U.S Green p of free Constit the righ propert Ano the sail such as docked hers asl Thoi demons ing to c (Aside f pulling [their pc distract workph [The rec sion of | few mo For Wflof lumt Bey< Man stuffs nine rattlesnakes in mouth in world record stunt Ii n a epi; disi head, a days d< tal in tl Durst, media Durst i of “not on eve The charge justice in Gah charge » tew ye Act WHISKEY FLATS, lei (AP) — A man stuffed tiiet of nine live rattlesnakes inf mouth Tuesday, record of eight. “I have to break t records. Heck, there’s else who can do it,” Jacl by the Bibby told the FortWortiiSI Telegram for its online Tuesday. “I think I could or 13, but probably no My mouth is only so big, Bibby, 52, has perfofiri snake stunts for televif , shows and other events,T | cam ' time it was for the 50thanii' f sary of the Guinness Records book, which is doe in September. In a field behind home in Whiskey Flats,ace’ munity about 25 miles west of Fort Worth, Bib’ banded nine snakes toge- by their rattles and wedged tails into his mouth. He forward from the waist a# still for 10 seconds, thesna« dangling down. For the record to be (# Bibby said, each snake hasic ;: at least 26 or 27 inches W Each weighs at least 1.Spoilt 0) L ■ Chi| choi National Press Club honors Tom Brokaw NEW YORK (AP) - If Brokaw says he’s spend his last year as top anchor collecting awaf* but he’s honored to makt exception for the Natii Press Club. The Washington instill will give Brokaw its F# Estate Award for LifetT Achievement at a dtf Wednesday in Washington Brokaw, 63, will be replan on NBC’s “Nightly News' November by Brian Will®' He said he’s still trying to figi out what to do next. I ha new frank! expec serioi but t chanc barely size! other Th years ask rr Well, Pork. Jesus fhat. ( Car wit In r Let ©2003 Ernst & Young up