Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee appeared on "The View" earlier this week and claimed he was happy that an African American had been elected to the presidency. Ahh, that's nice.
Then co-host Joy Behar asked Mr. Huckabee about gay rights in America:
There is a very conscious effort going on among same sex marriage opponents to distinguish marriage rights for homosexuals from the civil rights battles of the 1950's and 1960's for African Americans. After all, it would be dangerous to their cause if folks started to feel that, in fact, some fundamental rights were being denied homosexuals and, perhaps, feel some good old fashioned guilt about the denial of those rights. So, the opponents to gay marriage need to squash down any comparisons. Huckabee attempts it by suggesting there should be some kind of violence threshold; so many gay rights advocates have to be subjected to high power water hoses and have their heads cracked before the issue can be seen as a civil rights issue.
The argument is ridiculous, of course. No group should have to pass some sort of test in order to achieve fundamental rights.
But perhaps the same sex marriage rights movement needs to find some other analogies that are more fitting. I have a suggestion (this is only partly facetious); Imagine the electorate voting that (pick a group - left handed people, Malaysians, folks that drive Fords, Germans) couples cannot have children. Heck, if the majority decides that's right - that's the way it should be, right? Will of the people and all. Now, those couples can still get married and have all the accompanying rights of marriage. So they should be satisfied, of course. They just can't have kids. No big deal.
And for the folks that now argue gay marriage advocates ought to be satisfied that some states have "legal union" laws, add this to the analogy; while the couples can't have children of their own, we will allow them to adopt.
Comments
Huckabee doesn't get it. He keeps spouting off about how discrimination is wrong, but then promotes discrimination against gays. Worst of all, he cloaks his bigotry in a veil of religion. Typical repub. spin. Facts don't matter, say it and it's true.
Discrimination is wrong, except against gays in the name of god.
I can 't believe that the View would waste digital memory on this pious quack. Does anybody take him seriously? Huckabee seems like one of those gross old men who discover a fountain of youth way too late, and doesn't grow old gracefully. There isn't anything more pathetic than a man who hasn't grown into his skin. Also, bigotry is disgusting!
Homosexuals have the same right to marry people of the opposite sex as any heterosexual.
On what grounds are we redefining marriage? Who's definition should we use? What about the poor polygamists? Don't you dare discriminate or denigrate them you bigot! Hey name calling to support my political agenda is fun.
The hypocrisy is from the left accusing Huckabee of being a discriminatory bigot while calling him names ("gross old man"), ridiculing his faith, and claiming he denies the facts. THAT is disgusting.
How about an intelligent conversation about the definition of marriage that has been around for all of recorded history? If we are changing that definition, who gets to set the new definition? Does the polygamist get a say? Can he call us all bigots if we don't think someone can marry three women and two men? On what basis do we claim THIS is wrong? Or is it?
And by the way J.C. that veil of religion is not a "cloak". I think it is safe to say that there is overwhelming (although not unanimous) consensus within traditional Christianity that homosexuality is not something the state should be sanctifying with the word "marriage". You can call Huckabee names (like bigot), because you woke up this morning with a new idea about what a marriage is. But that does not mean he is one. Maybe we should start redefining epithets too.
Just Another Dumb Christian: It is quite ironic that people on the left and homosexuals are the most bigoted-hateful intolerant people I know of. Huckabee, however is just a typical politician, who despite what he says is already campaigning for 2012. Every time I turn around this guy is on some network giving his views on this and that or promoting his book. I really wouldn't waste my time defending Huckabee as an individual.
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