Before I get started here, I encourage everyone to check out my daughter's blog "Made Anew In God's Eyes" at http://sbmaige.blogspot.com/. It is great reading from a young sista, trying to do her thing. Give her a read and be encouraged. Now onto the rest of this program.
Tonight, not to my surprise, the state that I was born and raised, the state that educated me, the state that I still love, even though I am in Texas now, decided that Amendment One was a good idea. I stress that I am not surprised that it passed. I see that a lot of my friends on Facebook are disappointed at the outcome. I also see that a lot of my clergy collegues are disappointed as well. Truthfully, I am very disappointed too. Let me state my stance on it....
Personally and Biblically, I do not approve of gay marriage. Would I marry a gay couple, my answer to that is no. So why would I have voted against Amendment One? Here is my list...1) NORTH CAROLINA ALREADY BANS GAY MARRIAGE! Why in God's name am I voting for something that is already on the books? With all of the people out of work, with the NC public school system struggling, the state is running low on money, roads suck and the Bobcats play in Charlotte, you would think that there are other issues to address than Gay Marriage. 2) The wording of this amendment will bite many in the ass. Just wait until the new flood of domestic an child abuse cases go through the NC courts and smart defensive attorneys uses the loophole provided to get some sleazebag boyfriend off on a technicality. What family has to take the expense to go to the Supreme Court to get this silly provision changed? What family has to go through the pain of having a "Janice and Jeanne Carroll" Law developed to counteract the foolishness that Amendment One has opened? (Jeanne Carroll, my wife's best friend and work mentor here in Texas and her daughter Janice were killed several years ago by Janice's estranged husband.) Domestic violence laws already suck as is....It could be argued that a battered spouse's only chance is being the one to pull the trigger. 3) There is something inherently wrong with denying someone rights. 4) Once again, my state was played by sleaze ball politicians that have accomplished nothing for my state. 5) What happened to all of the "We want smaller government?" folks? If you can govern what goes on in the bedroom, if you can govern what goes on in the church sanctuary, then your precious guns, your precious food, your precious booze and OH yeah, lets not forget, the lottery are all in play now. (I am a gun advocate myself.) This amendment should have failed upon principal alone but....
I am sorry but to my people of NC, you got snowed and played like suckas. You didn't make a stand on anything really. Oh let me get this right, you did take a stand. You took a stand for wasting time, money and denying rights. You took a stand of not solving any problems. You took a stand of accepting and condoning being made a fool. Please tell me, what was accomplished for passing Amendment One??? Just my .02 cents...
