Mildred Loving, who recently passed away, was responsible for the US Supreme Court ruling antimiscegenation laws in Virginia illegal. Here is a description and e-copy of Chief Justice Earl Warren's ruling on the case, Loving v Virginia. Key quote from the ruling:
"Under our Constitution the freedom to marry or not marry a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed upon by the state."
Ironically, Loving's death comes close to the "big speech" by Senator John McCain on "activist judges." If laws and social policy were left solely to legislatures, nutjobs voted into power could make ordinary citizens' life hell. Apparently "states' rights" were at least at one time - and maybe even today - code for racial discrimination laws - see this write-up and links therein.
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I don't think there can be enough tribute to this lady and her husband. The right they secured is so central to one's basic human rights. (So sayeth not just me, but international treaties as well).
"States rights" were definitely code for circumventing progressive federal directives, especially with regard to race. I think they pretty much still are.
FYI, I added your blog to my blogroll. (Not that this means anything, since I only have 4 readers and even my mother doesn't bother anymore.) I like it... even though you and I disagree on a certain topic. ;-)
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