The citizens of North Carolina vote today on Amendment One, a ridiculous exercise in “Scissors for Hitler” silliness that makes the Tarheel State look just as foolish as if they were voting on a ban against left-handedness or an amendment decreeing that people with blue eyes can’t be licensed to drive.
It’s ugly, stupid and deeply immoral. It’s supported by liars, by racists, by Neo-Nazis and by the Catholic bishops — none of which is the sort of authority that decent people can turn to for moral advice.
By enshrining discrimination into the state’s constitution, by affirming that this constitution does not safeguard minority rights, Amendment One undermines the rule of law and the very possibility of democracy.
It’s just a really, really bad idea. And it’s expected to pass.
Pam Spaulding: “North Carolina’s voices rise up against Amendment One”
The fact is that the other side has no rational argument for its “protecting marriage” claims except ones featuring religion-based bigotry, ignoring church-state separation. Vote for Marriage NC has not gotten any major elected officials to back this poorly worded ballot initiative on camera, no business leaders. Only religious figures, including the infamous Patrick Wooden, who believes that gay men use iPhones as sex toys. That’s credible.
And our side has hundreds of faith leaders against it as well, ones who understand why faith and matters of civil law must remain separate in order to protect religious freedom.
Nicole Greenfield: “NC’s Amendment 1: ‘It’s Going to Hurt the Church’”
“It’s as if some Christians feel like they have permission to discriminate or hate,” [Jay Bakker said].
“And they get so obsessed with it that they ignore the fact that it would harm children, it would harm women, it would harm people in domestic partnerships. It’s like they’ve just become blind to that because they’ve built up such resentment towards gays and lesbians.”
J.R. Daniel Kirk: “Regarding Amendment One in North Carolina”
North Carolinian Christians, you are free to vote against Amendment One and in this vote to love your neighbor as yourself.
Mike Moore: “A Good Week to Hate Christians”
Wednesday will be the worst day. That’s when all the righteous gloating will happen. On Wednesday it will be declared that God’s will has been done, that His people have spoken. Wednesday will be the day when I will know, without doubt, that our life here in North Carolina will always be a little bit — or a lot — worse.
… Denying us marriage is not good enough for that sack-of-[bleep]Billy Graham and his sacks-of-[bleep] kids. No, they’ll only be happy when any and every form of societal support for my family has been obliterated. They’ll only be happy when gay kids can be bullied without consequences to the bully. They’ll only be happy when the very fine hospital here in Asheville that Mr. Graham uses can, without fear of reprisal, deny me the right to visit my sick husband.
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