Huckabee and same sex marriage rights

November 19, 5:39 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerJay McDonough

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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.