Letter to the Editor RE: Senate Bill 1608 - Defense of Marriage
Posted on May 15, 2008
Today I sent the following letter to the editor of the Jacksonville Daily News.
Dear Editor,
The North Carolina Constitution is under attack, yet again, by those who wish to use the State’s most powerful written document to deny the moral rights of North Carolinians.
Today, State Senator James Forrester, along with several co-conspirators including Onslow County’s own State Senator Harry Brown (also the owner of National Dodge, Suburu, and Volkswagen auto dealerships in Jacksonville), submitted Senate Bill 1608, Defense of Marriage.
This legislation proposes to alter the North Carolina Constitution in a way that it legislates, mandates even, discrimination. By continuing to withhold the moral right of same-sex couples to seek equal benefits as married opposite-sex couples, these legislators perpetuate the same fear and hatred once inflicted upon bi-racial couples. That same discrimination has since been ruled unconstitutional and was over-turned in 1967 by Loving v. Virginia.
SB 1608 does more than just prohibit the marriage of same-sex couples. It also restricts unmarried opposite-sex couples from seeking the equal rights of married couples. Employer benefits such as health care, the ability to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, and the ability to retain property after the death of a partner will continue to be out of reach for unwed, opposite sex couples in North Carolina.
It is ironic that also today, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s statutory provisions which prohibit same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. The NC General Assembly should save a state’s worth of time and money and pass a marriage law which brings fairness and equality to all North Carolinians.
State Senator Harry Brown should be ashamed for wasting valuable time during 2008’s short session at the Legislature with this discriminatory measure. If State Senator Brown wanted to defend marriage, banning divorce would be the appropriate measure.
» Filed Under 2008 Elections, Activism, Harry Brown, Jacksonville Daily News, Letters to the Edtor, NC Senate 6, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Senate, Politics, Republicans Tags:
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7 Responses to “Letter to the Editor RE: Senate Bill 1608 - Defense of Marriage”
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As a sad aside, Mildred Loving died just a few days ago. She’s quoted as having very vocally drawn the logical connection between the anti-gay laws and policies of today and the anti-miscegenation laws she fought against and defeated. It’s a shame that in 21st century America, people are still being denied equal protection under the law.
It’s sadder still that the political party that is supposedly for the protection of the rights of the minority against a bulldozer majority is not standing up to the hatred and bigotry of the Republican Party. I’ve come to expect such disgusting anti-Americanism from the right side of the aisle, I do not expect spineless submission to it from the left. The recent ducking and dodging by Kay Hagan is a perfect example of just that sort of Vichy acquiescence.
Michael Mahler posted the statement Mildred Loving made last year regarding this issue.
Lou and Emma, thank you for the comments.
I’m also concerned about State Senator Hagan’s questionable positions on LGBT issues. Though, it appears that’s the card we have to play.
Mrs. Loving certainly hit it out of the park with that one.
Indeed. The rights of the minority are not subject to a vote of the majority.
Thank you Emma, for the link.
Nice letter, Tom.
Thank you, Jogga. I can only hope that the “libertarian” Jacksonville Daily News will see fit to print it.
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