Yesterday word circulated on a Rhea County motion to urge its state legislators to outlaw gay sex, notwithstanding the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling that anti-sodomy laws are unconstitutional. County commissioner J.C. Fugate was quoted as saying he wanted to keep homosexuals “out of here.”
Meanwhile, over in Nashville, state lawmakers held hearings on a bill to add a constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriages and civil unions.
Legislators at their worst. Supporters of this are engaging in political posturing by driving through a wedge issue to confront a non-existent problem. And look at the behavior this silliness has sparked:
”You are so wrong. It’s discrimination,” said Patricia Cash, a Nashville woman, who wagged her finger in [Rep. Chris] Clem’s face as television cameras rolled and reporters crowded around the pair.
. . .
As Cash confronted Clem, another audience member, Jack Brown of Hendersonville, approached. ”You are totally right,” he told Clem as he tried to drown out Cash’s criticism.
”You have got to stop playing God,” Cash told Clem.
Brown turned to Cash and said, ”In Jesus’ name, shut your mouth.”
”Oh, shut up. You don’t know who Jesus is,” Cash responded.
Cash, 54, later told reporters she confronted Clem because ”I heard nothing but vile hatred towards people.”
During the meeting, which drew a standing-room-only crowd, state Rep. Beverly Marrero, D-Memphis, asked Clem, ”Don’t you think this is unconstitutional?”
And later, ”Don’t you think this is un-Christian?” to which some audience members applauded.
Good grief. Last time I checked the educational system and health care costs in this state are disasters, and our state leaders are engaging in this stuff. Wonderful.
Wow, that is a really ugly story. So you live in Tennessee? This kind of crap certainly makes it clear why Al Gore didn’t win Tennessee – I think given this story, his loss reflects well on him.
I added you to my blogroll (from the Obscure Kossack Bloggers project). I enjoyed my visit.
Thanks. This definitely qualifies as an obscure place.
Greetings,
Obscure?? I think bellwether is a better word. Did you see the report from WBIR:
http://www.wbir.com/News/news.asp?ID=17463
I learned much from growing up in Tenn, then I left.
It is a good place, but there comes a time when reality says to find a place more suited to you. I just have a hard time with illiteracy .. eeliteracy, ilitracy, or whatever it is. I will say this though, whatever Tennessee has as far as educational defects, Alabama is ten times worse…
–jeff-perado
Migrate closer to the larger cities (Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Jackson, Johnson City) and the attitudes begin to change a bit. No offense to those living in the more rural counties, but generally speaking the farther away from bigger city influence, the more prevalant and ingrained these mindsets seem to be.