Today in Equality

Let's skate right on past the latest news story about alleged presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and his assertion that the US Constitution should be amended to conform to his god's "laws", largely to be sure that men never marry men (or animals, or whatever…). I'm sure Google will provide details to the interested.

We'll also skip quickly over this item in today's Baltimore Sun with the headline "Majority favors legalized unions". A new poll among Marylanders gives these results:

Nineteen percent of likely voters said they support gay marriage, and 39 percent said they back civil unions, meaning that nearly three out of five believe the state should formally recognize same-sex relationships. Maryland law bans same-sex marriage.

It's a timely topic because the Maryland General Assembly will soon be debating issues of marriage equality.

The story I'm interested in at the moment takes place in Iowa, once again a forgotten state now that the caucuses are over. You may recall that last year a judge (Robert Hanson) ruled the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The ruling was almost immediately stayed, but not before college students Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan managed to obtain the state's only same-sex marriage license from the Polk County recorder.

Well, the issue is before the Supreme Court of Iowa now. Fearing an outbreak of activist judgeism that might decide on behalf of equality, a group of people organized by the Iowa Family Policy Center ("family" == "anti-gay", as you'll recognize), marched at the Iowa state house today, hoping to move the legislature towards beginning the process of putting an anti-equality constitutional amendment on a plebiscite ballot and to influence the Supreme Court's decision–Iowa Supreme Court Justice Marsha Ternus was speaking to the assembly.

These things are fully discussed by Andy Towle at his blog ("Hundreds of Anti-Gay Bigots Push Iowa High Court on Marriage"). You can read there if it interests you.

What really caught my attention was Andy's description of a photograph at the end of his piece. The photograph shows the group, all the people with head's bowed. Here's what Andy wrote:

These people are praying to God that you and I never have the ability to marry, to share equality in our rights and lives with other citizens of the United States.

When so many self-proclaimed christians believe their god will answer a prayer like that–it's just as well that I'm already an atheist.

Posted on January 17, 2008 at 21.47 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Faaabulosity

One Response

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  1. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Friday, 18 January 2008 at 00.58
    Permalink

    Those self-proclaimed Christians are clueless about or dismissive of the golden rule, judging by their actions. They also probably consider themselves red, white and blue through and through, although the rigors of getting along in a free society appear to be more than they're prepared to tolerate.

    To be fair, I don't think God sent these people out to militate for unfairness and intolerance. I think it's their idea.

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