In 1959, it was considered a felony for white’s and black’s to marry. That’s right interracial marriage was a crime. The couple got married in Washington D.C., where it wasn’t against the law and then drove back home to Virginia. Of course, in Virginia not only was interracial marriage against the law it was a crime for such a couple to live in the state as well. This felony crime carried a one to five-year prison sentence.
The couple plead guilty, and both received a one-year jail sentence. The judge in the case instructed the couple they would not have to serve time, and he would suspend the jail term if they packed up and left the state. The Judge in the case said the following:
” Almighty God created the races white, black, Malay, and red and placed them on different continents. And, but for interference with this arrangement there be no cause for such a marriage.”
The judge went on to say:
“The fact he[GOD] separated the races shows he did not intend for them to mix.”
With all the political back and forth, the finger pointing and name calling that goes on today in the political sphere surrounding same-sex marriage this 1959 case, and all its connotations have resurfaced. The Loving case is often used as an analogy in much of the ever increasing courtroom litigation involved with same-sex marriage. It does provide a good example of how times change and how public opinion on any given issue changes like the ocean tides.
Eventually, the Supreme Court overturned the state law that banned interracial marriage in Virginia. The high court held that under our Constitution the freedom to marry, or not to marry a person of another race resides with the individuals and cannot be infringed upon by the state.
This same train of thought and standard has become a cornerstone for legal advocates regarding same-sex marriage.
Now, North Carolina Has Embraced Bigotry By Theocratic Law
Recently, North Carolina Republican’s in the state legislature in Raleigh passed an anti-gay marriage law. This law does not just remind this writer of the Loving case it overwhelms it in terms of loss of civil liberty.
The North Carolina Senate Overrides The Veto of The Religious Freedom Bill
What North Carolina has done not only reminds people of the banning of interracial marriage in the 1950’s it would in practice allow for that same discrimination to manifest itself again. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCory(R) vetoed the bill but saw members of his Republican party override the veto. The bill’s authors wrote it as an anti-gay draft law. The Federal Courts have ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in North Carolina. The Federal Court’s ruling demands that North Carolina recognize same-sex marriage.
In practice what this bill allows is racist Christian Zealots who function as Magistrates, Assistant Magistrates, Registers of Deeds, Deputy Register of Deeds, to remove themselves from performing duties related to marriage due to their religious objections. What this legislation does allow is state government workers to break federal law? There is no other better analogy. People’s civil rights are being violated by scapegoating a religious conviction. What is sad bigotry is behind this, not religious beliefs?
What the state of North Carolina is doing here is Civil War in reverse. What this says is the hell with the Federal Government. Sure, same-sex marriage is legal here but I got my Holy Bible and I follow God’s law, not man’s. The very gatekeepers to a paramount part of two people in love lives are being put into the hands of an individual. Who can claim a theocratic law over a ruling in a federal court and the state of North Carolina is proxy to it.
As a person growing up in the South, in my rambunctious youth I had several run-ins with local magistrates. I can speak with authority most are racist bigots with a power complex of self-righteousness a country mile long. And to think that all magistrates need to do under this bill is declare they hold a religious objection to same-sex marriage he or she can legally refuse them service sickens this writer.
No comments:
Post a Comment