September 20th, 2015
Either Tennessee politicians Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, and Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mt. Juliet, are phenomenally dense and lack even the most rudimentary understanding of law or else they are about the most pandering creatures on the planet. Even grade schoolers know that the US Constitution, as measured by the Supreme Court of the United States, is of a higher order than state law. But that makes no matter to these nincompoops. (Tennessean)
On Thursday two state Republican lawmakers unveiled their answer: a bill that they believe voids the Supreme Court decision and continues to define marriage under Tennessee law as a union between a man and a woman.
“Natural marriage between one (1) man and one (1) woman as recognized by the people of Tennessee remains the law in Tennessee, regardless of any court decision to the contrary,” the bill states.
“Any court decision purporting to strike down natural marriage, including (a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision), is unauthoritative, void, and of no effect.”
Their bill consists primarily of seven pages of WHEREAS statements quoting freely from the dissents penned by the Justices on the losing side of Obergefell v. Hodges. For some reason, they seem to think that the determination of Supreme Court Justices are legally compelling, but only when they agree with them.
This bill will go nowhere. Even should the legislators in Tennessee unanimously pass the bill with trumpet flare and dancing nymphs, it has no legal basis and will impact nothing. This sort of cynicism is a sad reflection on our political system and on the gullibility of these lawmakers’ constituents.
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Paul Douglas
September 20th, 2015
Religion is the driver of this animosity, IMHO.
You would think the christianists would tire of all this hatred. I mean, what a waste of energy. What a waste of life.
Sheeesh!
Priya Lynn
September 21st, 2015
Paul, white christians in the states see their world changing and them losing some of the total superiority they’ve enjoyed in society. They see this as a zero sum game. To them if gays become more accepted or get more (equal) rights they see it as them losing stature and power. They deeply resent and are afraid of that so they fight tooth and nail to try to prevent gays and minorities from moving up to their level in society.
They’re afraid that if they lose a little of their power and superiority they may lose all of it.
Regan DuCasse
September 21st, 2015
Well, there sure is a difference between superior status, and actually BEING superior.
There is a strange affectation that some people develop where they don’t see the difference.
When it comes to the religious, some seem to think that such beliefs, grants them superior status or should.
Especially when it comes to assuming they have a higher moral grasp of things than their fellow mortals.
It’s that particularly obnoxious attitude that deserves to be challenged and reality checked.
When it comes to social justice, the most significant changes have been in the last five decades.
There are many people who have never known, being denied certain access or protections for things others can take for granted.
Surely, not everyone can help the privilege they have.
But what they DO with it, is what matters most of all.
They can be selfish and self important about it.
Or be willing to share it, and understand that sharing it is a more fair and compassionate thing to do.
We can look at people like Huckabee, and know exactly which side of this he’s falling on.
While trying to pretend otherwise.
He deserves to be challenged and informed on what a complete phony he is. And a dangerous one and the reason why.
Hunter
September 22nd, 2015
I was about to comment that no one could be dim enough to think that they’re going to overturn a Supreme Court decision by passing a state law, then I thought again about the extensive quotes from the dissents: apparently, it hasn’t sunk in that those arguments lost.
MattNYC
September 22nd, 2015
@Hunter
“I was about to comment that no one could be dim enough…”
{Fill in Name of Southern State} Republicans
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