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Huckabee on Gay Marriage

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Former Arkansas Gov. and FOXNews talk show host Mike Huckabee weighed into the thorny issue of gay marriage, likening the practice to incest, polygamy and drug use. Huckabee’s conservative credentials make him one of the GOP frontrunners, should he decide to run in the 2012 presidential sweepstakes. Huckabee’s views on gay marriage mirror those of the Church, especially Mormon and evangelical church groups that oppose homosexual marriage on the grounds that it violates the bible. Courts in Massachusetts, California and D.C. have ruled that gay marriage is now a civil right, affording it the same kinds of protections under the 14th Amendment only, guaranteeing all citizens due process. Despite overturning Prop 8, the gay marriage amendment, California’s Atty. Gen, former governor and soon-to-be governor Jerry Brown Jr. finds legal fault with banning gay marriage.

Huckabee’s words strike an approving tone with fellow evangelicals, whose rhretoric hasn’t changed since dropping out of the Republican primary March 4, 2008. Huckabee’s evangelical following couldn’t compensate for voters’ frustrations with former President George W. Bush, leaving the country in the two wars and a stubborn recession. Huckabee hopes to lead evangelicals back to the White House in 2012, competing with the likes of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose conservative views resonate with the Tea Party movement, flatly opposed to President Barack Obama’s liberal agenda, especially his health care overhaul. Huckabee’s prejudice against gay marriage stems from his religious faith, rejecting the idea that marriage is only a legal contract with the state. Opponents to gay marriage haven’t caught up with recent high court rulings around the country.

Massachusetts’ High Court was the first in the country to recognize that gay marriage was civil right, protected by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving due process to all citizens. According to the High Court, creating separate same sex unions violated the spirit and letter of 1954 Brown v. Board of Education, creating a separate-but-equal class, in that case, one for whites and blacks. On May 17, 2004 Massachusetts began the practice of gay marriage, giving the same rights to gays in marriage as heterosexuals. Huckabee not only opposes gay marriage but he rejects adoption for gay couples. “Children are not puppies,” Huckabee told college journalists at The College of New Jersey, in Ewing, N.J. He rejects the idea that any group—no matter how crazy—should be afforded Constitutional guarantees to what he considers a sick lifestyle.

Huckabee’s incendiary remarks were designed to shift attention away from Palin, whose media presence dominates the headlines. Huckabee has quietly performed on his show for FOXNews, giving him more stature with the FOXNews audience. Since running as Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) running mate in 2008, Palin has kept a high profile, serving—together with radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh—as one of Obama’s most vociferous critics. Dishing up the controversy, Huckabee did a good job of stealing headlines from Palin. “That would be like saying, well there are a lot of people who like to use drugs so let’s go ahead and accommodate those who want to use drugs. There are some people who believe in incest, so we should accommodate them. There are people who believe in polygamy, should we accommodate them,” Huckabee told the College newspaper.

Equating gay marriage with drug abuse, incest and polygamy goes over the top, revealing Huckabee’s low IQ for political correctness. While he panders to the FOXNews crowd, he offends every sensible person who’s more concerned about decency than jockeying for votes. No matter what one’s religious views, denying gays due process has been struck down by the courts. Huckabee, Palin and the GOP brand any judge that disagrees with their morality as “activist” or “leftist.” “I don’t have to prove that marriage is a man and a woman in a relationship for life,” said Huckabee, refusing to accept that gay, lesbian and transgender couples have the same rights under the U.S. Constitution. He’s sees any deviation from the bible as evidence of Satan. Instead of working to repair the damaged civil rights of disenfranchised groups, Huckabee continues the discrimination.

Huckabee’s recent disclosures make him an ideal fit with Palin and the rest of the Tea Party folks. “I do not believe we should change the traditional definition of marriage,” said Huckabee, revealing blissful ignorance of the difference between religious and civil marriage. When High Courts around the country debate gay marriage, they make every effort to separate out religion from the U.S. Constitution, applying rulings solely to civil marriage. Because of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, what parishioners do in the privacy of their own churches is of no consequences to the state. When citizens—whether gay or straight—seek redress in the courts, they expect judges and politicians to respect the Constitution, especially where it involves protecting a minority’s rights. What’s traditional in the church can’t prevent the state from following the Constitution.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.