The defiant Kentucky clerk is an insubordinate politician at best, and, at worse, a civil rights violator.
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Mrs. Kim Davis, the defiant Kentucky clerk who was jailed after refusing to issue marriage licenses in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, has been regarded by her supporters as a civil rights leader of sorts.
Her insubordination, catalyzed by her stringent religious beliefs, has given a spark of life to “Bible Thumpers” who are corralling around a form of resistance to government overreach.
Mrs. Davis, an elected official, won’t give same-sex couples licenses to wed because signing the document would give the impression that she approves of the act, which she doesn’t.
Mrs. Davis also projected her religious beliefs onto her staff, and in effect held a public office hostage to her private values.
Her supporters have framed this story as one of religious freedom, when it’s really about religious fanaticism and gross discrimination: Mrs. Davis is using a public office to promote a private belief—one rooted in a particular religion—which results in the disenfranchisement of others who may either practice the same religion as Mrs. Davis, a different one, or none at all.
Mrs. Davis and her supporters don’t value religious freedom; they value Christianity, and what they think is their right to bombard others with it.
Real religious freedom is supporting all people in their practice of religion and the beliefs that uphold it, while remaining steadfast in your own, and, when applicable and welcomed, sharing the good news of your God with the intent to inspire, not convert.
Today, Mrs. Davis sits in jail because of her insubordination, contempt of court and desire to be a martyr. The celebrity she’s garnering only fuels her insane ideology that she, as a public official, can inconvenience the lives of private citizens with her private beliefs.
She won’t resign, it’s unlikely she’ll be impeached and she’s unwilling to pledge not to interfere with the staffers who are issuing the licenses, as per an order from Kentucky’s Governor, Mr. Steve Beshear.
Given the state of mass incarceration and the debate of whether non-violent criminals should be jailed, her arrest, and its length can be argued in either direction with merit.
But what’s indisputable is that a public office should never be held hostage and prevented from serving the public due a single worker’s belief and bullying.
Mrs. Kim Davis is no civil rights leader; she’s an insubordinate politician at best, and, at worse, a civil rights violator trolling under the guise of Christianity.
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Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
I wasn’t particularly surprised when watching a rally on TV in support of Kim Davis, I witnessed a few people walking among the crowd proudly waving the Battle Flag of the Confederacy. Kim Davis certainly does not walk in the footsteps of progressive leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, or Sojourner Truth who understood and accepted the potential consequences for their actions, but they likewise understood and committed themselves to working for a greater cause and a greater truth than the laws they broke. Rather, Davis follows the muddled path of… Read more »