As lunatics on the right such as hate group American Family Association's Bryan Fischer and political whores to the Christofascist such as Ted Cruz continue to rant and rage - Cruz has even proposed that the U.S. Senate apparently by fiat amend the U.S. Constitution to bat marriage equality - one thing has struck me: the basis of the arguments all come down to "states' rights" and the desire to allow a majority to terrorize and mistreat a minority. It's a line of argument and mindset that we have seen before and that was widespread in Virginia and the South 150+ years ago when it was utilized to justify slavery (the Bible was also used as a source of justification then as well). More recently we heard it in reaction to school desegregation - Virginia engaged in "Massive Resistance" and some localities completely closed their public schools - and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The argument is always used by a majority that seeks to abuse a minority. And it's usually the self anointed "godly folk" leading the charge. Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin (who looks like she is channeling the late Tammy Baker as her makeup consultant) stated this tired and discriminatory mantra again yesterday in a press release as Oklahoma was forced to begin same sex marriages:
“The people of Oklahoma have the right to determine how marriage is defined. In 2004, Oklahomans exercised that right, voting by a margin of 3-1 to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
“The will of the people has now been overridden by unelected federal justices, accountable to no one. That is both undemocratic and a violation of states’ rights. Rather than allowing states to make their own policies that reflect the values and views of their residents, federal judges have inserted themselves into a state issue to pursue their own agendas.
“Today’s decision has been cast by the media as a victory for gay rights. What has been ignored, however, is the right of Oklahomans – and Americans in every state – to write their own laws and govern themselves as they see fit. Those rights have once again been trampled by an arrogant, out-of -control federal government that wants to substitute Oklahoma values with Washington, D.C. values.”
One has to wonder if Fallin slips on her Klan robes when out of the view of the media.
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