Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Bible lessons these clergy forgot
Today is the constitutional convention that takes up an amendment that would enshrine in Massachusetts' constitution a clause that prohibits a class of people from having a civil right enjoyed by the majority. A clause that mandates discrimination. I find it disheartening and shameful. The increasingly byzantine and hysterical contortions of Representative Travis, Speaker Finneran, Governor Romney, Archbishop O'Malley, Loathsome Activist Ron Crews and their neo-Phelpsian ilk have been painful to watch. Needless to say, Dubya, increasingly scrutinized for his mendacious, wrongheaded and thanatocentric policies, has come out in favor of a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage. It's easier to pander to the fundamentalist base than to defend his morally bankrupt and toxic policies.
Ideas for amending the Massachusetts amendment, or proposing legislation clearly contrary to the court's mandate are flying thick and fast. One can only hope that a majority of our legislators are people who value fairness and justice.
My senator, Susan Fargo, according to her office, opposes the amendment. My representative, Peter Koutoujian, also plans to vote against it, although the person to whom I spoke seemed less willing to state this uncategorically.
One of the media images that bothered me most recently was a photo of a demonstration, Church-sponsored, in which a child -- looked like a 12 or 13 year old girl -- was waving a sign that said "Adam and Eve Not Adam And Steve," a phrase straight from the neanderthal playbook of homophobic hate rhetoric. I cannot imagine a child coming up with such bile. I was reminded of Topeka's infamous and demonic Reverand Fred Phelps whose awful, hate-mongering demonstrations usually include a gaggle of his children and grandchildren, all bearing signs with text so obscene and awful I will not repeat it here.
In the progressive future I like to imagine, history books will list Travis, Finneran, O'Malley, Romney, Crews and their neo-Phelpsian followers as comprising a doomed last bastion of reactionary and malignant bigotry.
But do read the Jackson piece.
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