As usual, Colbert is funny but with a biting sense of hard-edged truthiness.

I wanted to comment on your soft-edged line about Carcieri "appearing to be" heartlessly homophobic. Yeah, that softens it nicely, you are not saying he is homophobic, just saying that he is appearing to be homophobic. I don't know if you put that much thought into it, or meant to avoid outright calling this governor homophobic, so I will walk into the breech and say the obvious:

Governor Carcieri is homophobic.

That's "Homo-Phobic" from the Greek homós, meaning one and the same, and the Greek phóbos, meaning fear. The definitional emphasis on "fear". It is not hatred of gays, it is fear of gays. Fear, which arises out of ignorance.

I hear others calling this governor other things, like bigoted, hateful, cold-hearted, and so on. Maybe he is those things -- I don't know. But it is clear he is homophobic. He is so afraid of "the gay" that he can't even accept their existence to such a minimal degree as to allow them to deal with their deceased loved ones. It is despicable, disgusting, and he has made Rhode Island a national disgrace.

You say not to mourn, but organize. That's probably right and it probably doesn't further any cause politically to call the governor homophobic. But, here in this local blog, I think it is fair game to call him what he is plain and simple. Unless we know the hearts and minds of the enemies of freedom and justice, how can we ever win them over?

Right on target with homophobic.
Some humans have just not evolved yet to accept what is reality, whether Muslim or Christian, religiosity is punitive in nature to control, punish, and instill fear in the hearts and minds of humans to obey what is delivered in the sermon from the mountain.

"Sametary" legislation most likely would be signed by a REPUBLICAN Governor, we should expect no less. It would not surprise me if someone pure-minded conservative has not resuscitated the old Puritan Principles, given all this obsession with sex and fragmented moral lecturing about pornography, where young college girls can dance to pay for their education, where adult copulation can take place, how much bodily exposure is allowed in your windowed kitchen, how much panty material may show above the jeans, placing all of nature off-limits to the uncovered human body, and applying parental management styles on each other. No wonder some youngsters are rebelling and seek escapism in alcohol, drugs, violence, and sex.

I think the greatest threat to our democracy is, yes, ignorance: A poorly educated constituency and voter pool. We have seen it before in the last century, and no doubt will experience it again, the rise of extremism as threats gather in the form of rising unemployment, foreclosures, homeless veterans in every town, unusual weather fronts, droughts, rising sea levels, food shortages, and the latest - 14% of Americans lack sufficient food?

While this spin-off is repetitious of a theme I dared express, it will matter little what we say. Yes, organize and fight those we choose to manage our government to obey our wishes, less we take their duly delegated power away in the election process.

Cheers,
Wernerlll

Once again our Governor has taken the lowest road possible and we Rhode Islanders are left looking like homophobic country bumpkins. As one of the Co-Sponsors of this bill, I am shocked that he vetoed it. This had nothing to do with Gay Marriage or Gay anything. It was simply about basic human rights and doing the right thing for ALL of our citizens. My constituents do not have to call me on this one but if they are as outraged as I am and want to call or email me anyway, have at it. My email is rep-jay70@cox.net and my direct line is (401) 662-6280. For those of you who don't live in my District, call your Reps and let them know that you want their vote when this one comes to us for an over-ride.
Don, you had a real chance here to open up dialogue and instead you slammed the door shut. Don't worry, our over-ride will be deafening on this one.
Jay Edwards