Republicans like Rep. Steve King (R-IA) have responded to the legalization of same-sex marriage by calling on the states to abolish civil marriage.
Video of Steve King calling for the abolition of all civil marriage:
Rep. King said, “Now, there’s no point to having civil marriage in this country whatsoever. So I’m calling upon the states, just abolish civil marriage. Let’s go back to holy matrimony. Do that alone. By the way, I want to send a message to the Supreme Court, a good strong message, and in the next few days or weeks, I’ll be introducing legislation to do just that.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thinks that Texas has the power to ignore the Supreme Court, “Despite the Supreme Court’s rulings, Texans’ fundamental right to religious liberty remains protected. No Texan is required by the Supreme Court’s decision to act contrary to his or her religious beliefs regarding marriage. The Texas Constitution guarantees that ‘[n]o human authority ought, in any case whatsoever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion.’ The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion; and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, combined with the newly enacted Pastor Protection Act, provide robust legal protections to Texans whose faith commands them to adhere to the traditional understanding of marriage.”
Meanwhile, in Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal, thinks right-wing Christians have the constitutional right to discriminate against gays, “The government should not force those who have sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage to participate in these ceremonies. That would be a clear violation of America’s long-held commitment to religious liberty as protected in the First Amendment.”
The idea that Republicans could abolish all civil marriage if same-sex marriage ever became legal in all fifty states has been floating around for years in bigoted circles of social conservatives. The notion that Republican governors can nullify the Supreme Court ruling was echoed by Abbott. This path is also very likely to be pursued by some Republican leadership in red states.
The three statements listed above demonstrate the freakout that is occurring within the Republican Party. Social conservativism is declining in the United States, but Republicans feel compelled to appeal to this extremist segment of American society.
An abolition of marriage would be the equivalent of Republicans taking their ball and going home. It would be the spiteful and petty move from a party that has shown itself to be incapable of more than the spiteful and cynical politics of hate that the Republican Party has fully embraced.
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