The False Cry of Judicial Tyranny

The Christianists like Rick Warren and the men over at Concerned Women for America continually whine about "activist judges" and "judicial tyranny" when in fact it is not the courts by the Christianists themselves who seek to impose their own tyrannical rule over all other citizens. It is also noteworthy that in each instance where the Courts have ruled to expand legal equality, the Christianists and the predecessors have ALWAYS been the ones decrying the rulings by the courts and citing Biblical support of their efforts to bar equality.

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The trend goes back for decades, including opposition to desegregation starting in the 1950's and the Voting Rights Acts of the 1960's, the U. S. Supreme Court rulings in Loving v. Virginia and Lawrence v. Texas, and of course now in the battle over gay marriage. Sadly, rather than being a force for good, these unloving, hate motivated people make religion a force for evil and persecution. WWJD? I suspect condemn them in explicit terms. Why the media doesn't do a better job of reminding the larger public of the track record of these groups is most disappointing. On occasion, however, the media does get some things right such as the New York Times editorial urging the State of New Jersey to support full marriage rights for same sex couples. Here are some highlights:

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Civil unions are an inadequate substitute for marriage. Creating a separate, new legal structure to confer some benefits on same-sex couples neither honors American ideals of fairness, nor does it grant true equality. The results are clearly visible in New Jersey, which continues to deny same-sex couples some of the tangible civil benefits that come with marriage.

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The commission [that studied the failings of civil unions] noted the hurt and stigma inflicted by shutting out gay people from the institution of marriage. It also found that civil unions do not assure gay couples of the same protections, including the right to collect benefits under a partner’s health insurance program and to make medical decisions on behalf of a partner who is unable to do so. The panel concluded unanimously that the state should enact a law to remove the inequities.

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We regret that the leaders of the state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature do not view this issue with the same urgency. . . . It’s past time for him and for the Democrats in Trenton to find the political courage to extend the right to marry to gay couples.