It looks like we are finally seeing the last of the southern segregationists being pushed into the 21st century.A Louisiana justice of the peace who drew criticism for refusing to marry an interracial couple has resigned, the secretary of state's office said Tuesday.
Okay, not exactly "pushed into the 21st century" as "pushed out of the 21st century's damn way"!
Bardwell, speaking to CNN affiliate WBRZ, said he was advised "that I needed to step down because they was going to take me to court, and I was going to lose."
"I would probably do the same thing again," he said. "I found out I can't be a justice of the peace and have a conscience."
You just know this guy has a rebel flag hanging over his bed don't you?
And realizing how incredibly long it takes to change the attitudes of the deeply prejudicial makes this vote to repeal gay marriage in Maine terribly disheartening.
It is such a shame that even today there are just so many people motivated by ignorance and prejudice willing to use their vote, or official positions, to suppress the rights of anybody who does not fit into their narrow definition of "normal".
I have spent time in both Jerry Prevo's mega-church here in Anchorage, and at teabagger rallies downtown, and if THAT is the definition of "normal" for these people then I am going to race into the arms of the "abnormal" every single time.
Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteWe just need to keep talking and pushing and shining that light. It is so gratifying to talk with the young adults that I raised and those that I helped raise and all their friends. This coming generation will finish what we can't get done. It has been a heavy lift and we have and will continue to make progress. Still though, it saddens me to see the Maine result. I was so hopeful in watching the early election results.
R-71 in Washington is still hanging in there. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteOh, great another so-called "progressive" using gay rights to start a race war.
ReplyDeleteI knew this was coming. So transparent. Racist "progressives" need to stop taking out their anger on minorites, and other groups of people when gays get the shaft. You are no better than the bigots who repealed the law.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is one of the big differences between us Canadians and our neighbours to the south..
ReplyDeleteWe managed to sort out same sex marriage, right to choose and universal health care and our country is still ticking over..
.
Well, Maine went back into the dark ages. :(
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Washington State came out of it:
Referendum 71 ('Everything but "marriage" ') seems to have won, where gay couples get all the same rights in everything, except they do not get to call their union a 'marriage'.
Great post, Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteIt really is tragic when the reich-wingers try and make love illegal.
Which party is it that claims to be against big government?
I thought so.
Gryphen,
ReplyDeleteAs a child of an interracial marriage I am offended that in todays day and age ANY two loving adults are prevented from marrying. One set of grandparents and my mom and dad had to get married in Canada because during that point in time they could not get married in their own country.
See, I think this ties directly to Palin. 2012 may prove me wrong, but I honestly don't think she intends to be POTUS. She has a huge cultural impact just facebooking.
ReplyDeleteWhat scares me is her uncanny ability to focus and inflame this country's latent seething ignorance and bigotry.
And, as an aside, here's also what I'm afraid of: the truth about Trig will make the world sympathetic to her. Is this a case where we need to be careful what we ask for?
The sanctity of marriage needs to be protected from heterosexual, same-race marriage.
ReplyDeleteConsider the victory in Washington. It looks like the problem with the general population is the word 'marriage'. Why not have government-recognized civil unions for all and leave 'marriage' up to the churches?
ReplyDeleteI hope Maine will continue to recognize existing marriages similar to what happened in CA.
This is simply a civil liberties issue. Marriage is a civil function defined and regulated by the states. By definition, it is NOT a religious institution, even if religious ceremonies are used. Opponents of same sex marriage have simply not provided a compelling reason as to why heterosexuals deserve greater civil liberties than gays and lesbians.
ReplyDeleteThe whole "threat to the family" argument is, was, and always will be bullshit. I'm sick and tired of the homophobic bigotry surrounding this issue that masquerades as Christian piety. Intolerance is not a virtue.
I think that ultimately the defeat of same sex marriage in Maine and California via referendum provides a remedy that does not even have to address the issue of same sex marriage. An appellate or supreme court could strike down both results as being unconstitutional on the grounds that civil liberties cannot be subjected to revocation via the ballot. If all we need to regressively withdraw civil rights is 5O% + 1, then we can reinstitute slavery, take back women's suffrage, bring back child labor, etc., simply by using the referendum process.
The very notion of referenda being used to selectively retract existing liberties for specific groups of people is absurd and clearly cannot be sustained under the law. I predict that the unconstitutionality of the referendum process will be used to invalidate Prop 8 in CA and yesterday's vote in ME.
... as I have said so many times before:
ReplyDeleteThey still burn us, those of us who think different...
It would be easy to say: Well, they are old, and they will die out at some point, but that theory does not necessarily hold true, for they have taught yet another generation, which then will have to examine the early lessons before they can go on to become more tolerant than were their elders... and how many will expend all of that time to look within? Think about it.
I did, and I do not like the odds...
Lately I have been hearing so much from those who support Palin-like-thinking people and have started to realize (pardon my paranoia) that after abortion, tea-bagging accounting, church intermingled in state -- that next, they seem to be gearing up to require home school as the education of choice. Think of all the taxes (entitlenents) could be avoided. Am I totally wacked or is this a leaning I see the beginnings in their crusade?
ReplyDelete(I also posted this on Bree' blog)
Can someone please tell me how to find the archives for IM? I'm looking for a previous post and don't know how to find it.
ReplyDeleteBeen a lurker for a looooong time and appreciate the blog tremendously. Keep up the good work!
Gryphen, you are going to love this!!
ReplyDeleteRegarding Carrie PreJean. http://bit.ly/uQru.
Out of all the Palin books coming out, I plan on purchasing the one by Frank Bailey. Andrew Halcro has a little write up about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.andrewhalcro.com/coming_monday_baileys_on_the_rocks
Prejean Sex Tape Triggers Settlement
ReplyDeletePosted Nov 4th 2009 5:00PM by TMZ Staff
Carrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials -- that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an XXX home video of her handiwork.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2009/11/04/carrie-prejean-sex-tape-settlement-miss-california-usa-pagneat/#ixzz0VwU2IyE0
themom--I'm not worried that mandatory homeschooling will be pushed. Homeschooling is too much work for the mother (most ofen the teacher in TX) --I don't think people will accept that.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that there are alot more church sponsored Christian schools in Texas than 20-30 years ago. But I don't think mandatory homeschooling is in the cards.
How about that? Little Miss Christian morality her own self exposed as a porn star! Certainly no hypocrisy there. Store bought boobs, a porn pro, not living up to her contracts, but she was persecuted because mean ol’ Perez Hilton made her stand up and bash gays!
ReplyDeleteShe knew that this was out there. Did she honestly think that with all of her self righteous holier-than-thou “I am Christian martyr” crap that the sex tape would not be revealed? How much mendacious sanctimony is this woman capable of?
Apparently, after viewing about 15 seconds of the video, Ms. Prejean got up and walked out. She’s getting about $100K, all going to her lawyers and publicist and not even coming close to settling her bill. She gets nada. Looks like Ms. Prejean is going down! No wait, it sounds like she already did that.