North Carolina: Six Judges Resign Over Marriage Equality and the Law

It was just a few years ago that the people — at least some of the people, a bigoted majority — of North Carolina voted to add a ban on same-sex marriage to the state Constitution, and a lot has changed since then; except for the bigoted people part.

Last month, when the Fourth circuit Court ruled that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, and there struck down, it also included the bans on marriage in West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. And while Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina accepted the ruling, South Carolina’s asshat Governor Nikki Haley and its asshat Attorney General Alan Wilson, have vowed to stand in the way of equality for as long as it takes to keep South Carolina in the Dark Ages.

Okay, rant about South Carolina over, because this is a rant about judges in North Carolina.

Since same-sex marriage was legalized in the state on October 10 six North Carolina judges have resigned from their benches because they do not want to go against their Christian faith and conduct wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples.

I say, Good bye! Hope you find work wherever Bigoted ex-judges find work. Surely there’s a website for that … HatfeulMagistrates.com?

Those judges, those, and let us not forget this part, public servant are John Kallam Jr., Gilbert Breedlove,  Bill Stevenson, Tommy Holland, Gayle Myrick and Jeff Powell; they say they are waiting on God to give them direction in starting the next phases of their lives.

I think God is thinking, You’ve chosen your direction, now live with it.

Bill Stevenson is the latest judge to have publicly stepped down from his position, rather than marry a gay couple:

"It was something I had to do out of conscience. I felt like to perform same-sex unions would be in violation of the Lord's commands, so I couldn't do that."

Now he is out of a job that paid him $50,000 a year to uphold the law, all of the laws, in his state. And, again, goodbye, and don’t let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you.

Here’s the deal: as a judge your are a public servant, elected, or appointed, to, ahem, serve the public; and that means all of the public, not just the parts of the public you agree with, or even like. Your job was to put your own personal bias out of the way and do your job.

You cannot do that? Then go. I hear the Piggly Wiggly is looking for bag boys.

Former judge, since he cannot do his job the way it was intended, Tommy Holland, who is also Baptist, said he knew he had to resign as soon as he got a memo from the state saying that magistrates would have to honor the new marriage law no matter what their beliefs on same-sex marriage were:

"When the federal judges ruled that gay marriage was legal and North Carolina honors that, and part of a magistrate's job is to perform marriage ceremonies, I knew I couldn't honor that law. It's against my belief. It's against what the Bible says … I was raised a Southern Baptist. God has always taken care of me."

God; as I said, She’s up in heaven just shaking her head, because even She knows that the United States is not now, nor has it ever been, a Christian nation; even She knows we have a Separation of Church and State in this country, which means you, as judges, should keep your church out of the state’s business.

But, since you can’t do that, can you ride a bike? Maybe you can deliver pages, though I worry that your black robes will get caught in the gears. 

And former judge Gayle Myric echoed the hateful sentiment when she resigned:

"I believe that marriage was ordained by God to be between a man and a woman. For me to do what the state said I had to do, under penalty of law, I would have to go against my convictions, and I was not willing to do that. I want to honor what the Word says."

Um, most folks believe God’s word is Love, Gayle, but I guess you think God’s word is Hate the Fags. I picture you trading your black robe for a white one, and your gavel for a torch.

Now, the Six Looney Judges are but a small portion of the 670 county magistrates that serve in North Carolina, and other, so-called, Christian judges who haven't resigned have indicated that they will simply not conduct the same-sex marriages as required by law, which could lead to their dismissal.

Good. Bye. If you cannot do the job for which you were elected, or appointed, to uphold the laws of North Carolina then you have zero business of the bench; unless it’s a park bench and you’re feeding the pigeons and looking through the help wanted section.

Of course, these wingnut judges have the support of wingnut politicians-mostly Republicans, of course; Republican state senator Phil Berger, and 27 other Republicans, have requested the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts to protect state officials who refuse to participate in gay marriages because of religious beliefs. Berger is said to be drafting a bill that will grant protections to state officials who refuse to either issue marriage licenses or conduct gay marriages, out of religious belief.

But, again, if we allow this handful of Bigot Judges to decide what laws they want to uphold and what laws they don’t then why have judges, or courts or laws at all? Why not just let the mayhem ensue?

Your job is the law; the law says marriage equality is legal.

Uphold the law, or get off the bench.

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