From The BBC
3rd September 2015
A US judge has ordered a Kentucky official jailed for contempt of court after she has repeatedly refused to issue marriage licences to gay couples. Kim Davis, an elected official in Rowan County, has said that her Christian faith should exempt her from signing the licenses. The US Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal in June. Ms Davis, who has said she is obeying "God's law," has been escorted out of the courtroom.
"You can't be separated from something that's in your heart in your soul," said Ms Davis to US District Judge David Bunning, and said the Supreme Court's ruling conflicts with her beliefs as a born-again Christian. "I promised to love Him with all my heart, mind and soul because I wanted to make heaven my home." The judge said he had "no alternative" but to jail her, because issuing fines would not change her mind. "Her good faith belief is simply not a viable defence," said Mr Bunning. "Mrs Davis took an oath. Oaths mean things." He added that letting one person's beliefs supersede the authority of the court would be a dangerous example to set.
Her six deputy clerks were told they may issue licenses to all marriage applicants and that they would also faces fines or jail if they refused to do so. Five out of six of them said they will issue marriage licenses to gay couples, except for Ms Davis' son Nathan. Ms Davis' lawyer had claimed that the deputy clerks could only issues licenses under Davis' authority, but the judge overruled that objection.
Hundreds of protesters lined up outside of the federal courthouse on Thursday, chanting and waving signs both of support and opposition. Local reporters tweeted photos of the two different camps in close quarters outside of the courthouse. Protesters screamed "Love won! Love won!" outside of the courthouse after learning of the decision. Ms Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses to all couples in June after the legalisation of gay marriage, turning couples away repeatedly. The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the argument that her faith prevented her from carrying out her duty. "I have no animosity toward anyone and harbour no ill will. To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It is about marriage and God's word," she said in a statement.
She can only be removed from her position if the Kentucky legislature impeaches her because she is an elected official. Various 2016 Republican presidential candidates, like Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Marco Rubio, have come out in support of Ms Davis' decisions. Others like Carly Fiorina, Senator Lindsey Graham and Ohio Governor John Kasich have said she must do her job and comply with the law.
[It’s really very simple. It’s her job to marry people under the law. The law has changed to include Gay couples. She either abides by the law, spends time in prison or resigns her post. She doesn’t get to choose which laws apply to her. All laws apply to everyone no matter what their personal beliefs. If she doesn’t like it she should find another job. What’s the problem here?]
3 comments:
We've been watching this case very closely here. She is comparing herself to "Rose Parks," idiot can't even get the name right, plus she's clueless. Her lawyer is saying this is a war on Christianity and he's comparing her to Jews who were jailed under the Nazis. This should tell you how delusional they are. Their supporters aren't any better. They honest believe the U.S. was founded on Christian principles and meant to be a Christian nation, regardless that a lot of the Founding Fathers were Deists, or their clear disregard/misunderstanding of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." They clearly did not intend to establish a theocracy. These same fools who want to create a Christian theocracy would have a total meltdown if any other religion tried the crap they are. It feels like the nuts are multiplying over here. Help!
She is most certainly entitled to her beliefs. She's even fully entitled to (try to) break the law and take the consequences. What she isn't allowed to do is break the law and get away with it. If she won't resign or change her behaviour I guess she's going to have to get used to prison food....
v v said: It feels like the nuts are multiplying over here.
I prefer to see it as the storm before the calm. Panic measures of a vocal minority who have lost the argument, know they've lost and have no other recourse but to scream until they go blue and pass out... just like a 3 year old.
Well, the Judge let her out as long as she doesn't interfere with the other clerks in the office issuing marriage licenses. She has said she won't comply, because she doesn't want her name on the marriage licenses. The Clerk of the Court's name is on all the licenses. She needs to quit, but she won't.
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