And no matter how many times you wish otherwise, equal protection works a certain way. SCOTUS created the system, and SCOTUS applies it. You think that's not how it should work, but your opinion on what should be isn't exactly relevant to those nine people.
You have a fundamental misunderstanding about the constitutional issues here. You're starting with the 51% vote, and you think that is definitive. It isn't. The states and the people are both bound by the constitution. The 9th and 10th amendments give the states a lot of leeway, but in every case the people and the states are still bound by the 14th amendment in the same way they are bound by the 2nd or the 13th. No number of votes, no state constitutional amendment, and no amount of votes of a legislative body can reinstate slavery because the US constitution prevents it with the 13th amendment.
The 14th works the same way. States have all sorts of power to implement laws, as do the people via ballot measure if their state allows it. But in every case this is bound by the 14th, so the only relevant question here is whether or not same-sex marriage bans violate the 14th amendment. You keep saying the 14th doesn't specifically mention state interests and whatnot. That's entirely true, but it doesn't matter, because the Supreme Court of the United States says that this is how it works.
And that's why you are about to lose this battle before the Supreme Court, and same-sex marriage will be legal nationwide. I predict middle of 2015, based on how SCOTUS' schedule works. Could theoretically be later this year, but I doubt it.
-Property inheritance problems
-Child custody problems
-Medical power of attorney
-Compelled testimony against spouse in civil or criminal cases
-Confiscated social security/other death benefits
These are measures of harm.
Maybe, maybe not. If the SC invents something that doesn't work, if they piss enough of us off, enough people who think as I do, then I am sure they will become a bit more concerned about it. You see, they don't get to forge some silly rule then try to force it fit all cases, no matter what, thus upsetting the system... we do not have to stand for that. The society is ours, not the nine justices'.
You keep on bringing up apples and oranges arguments... of course the apple ones are winners, no denying them, but your 14th arguments are just plain stinkers and are not relevant like the 13th would be. The 14th doesn't just allow everybody everything, can't you get that through, how many times must this be said before you understand that?
If the SC missteps on this like they did in the Obamacare and the Kelo rulings, if they misstep on the current one on religious freedom... well, I think you will have enough disenchanted folks out here who will think the system is bankrupt and completely broken... at minimum civil disobedience will be the order of the day and we are gonna have a battle royale over the direction of this country that may go beyond just debate...
Lot of us out here are getting pretty damn fed up with all this beyond silly crap that you folks on the left keep shoveling...just expect us to somehow keep taking it all? I am telling you, keep heaping this malodorous excrement on the camels back, sometime soon its just gonna break.
Easy resolutions and such:
Make a will
SS Shouldn't have children in the first place
Medical power of atty, work out between the two beforehand
Don't get yourself into criminal civil problems... or don't involve your partner
Sorry about that... life ain't always fair... to anybody