Yesterday on CNN's, "The Lead," Jake Tapper asked famous adulterer/Appalachian Trail hiker, and now South Carolina Republican Congressional Candidate, Mark Sanford:
“Who are you to deny love between two men or two women, when you are somebody who talks about following his heart, regardless of the laws and traditions of the state of South Carolina? Why are you sitting in judgment of same sex couples, when you have had the life you have had?”
- Raw Story
Excellent question.
Who is Mark Sanford to deny love between two CONSENTING ADULTS? (That "consenting adults" thing seems to be a concept the anti-gay marriage crowd doesn't understand, so they are always tripped up by it)
The preface of the question was about Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which Mark Sanford voted for when he was a congressman back in 1996. (Interestingly enough he also cast a vote for impeaching Bill Clinton over his affair lying to the American people.)
Sanford first did something parents of 2 or more are familiar with, he pointed to someone else (Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) and said "he did/believed it too." And then he pivoted and threw the Republican "Hail Mary" (weasling) saying basically "states rights!."
What I have said is I think the current debate has little to do with same-sex marriage and a whole lot to do with democratic traditions in this country, and a whole lot to do with the courts. I think that if you’re a conservative, you believe in this notion of federalism, that one size does not fit all and that we shouldn’t have prescriptive answers coming out of Washington, D.C., for any of the different things ultimately that we have got to resolve as a family of Americans. And so to have an unelected set of judges decide what is or is not for all 50 states to me does not make sense.
- Huffington Post
So really that black and white marriage thing, should have been left up to the individual states. And Utah should go back to plural marriage. Because "states rights!"
And if one state does not recognize the interracial marriage performed in another state and that couple has to move to the none recognizing state ... well then, what? And how, for tax and benefit purposes, should the federal government treat the interracial couple?
Because that's part of what DOMA is about. How the federal government treats the tax and benefits for same sex married couples. Right now it denies them all.
But what I find very amusing with all this "let the states decide" nonsense, especially for Mark Sanford, is that his state already decided some issues about marriage, and one is adultery.
From chrississippi's timely diary "Adultery is a crime in South Carolina!" dated June 24, 2009.
South Carolina's Code of Laws, Title 16--Crimes and Offenses, Chapter 15 "Offenses Against Morality and Decency"
SECTION 16-15-60. Adultery or fornication.
Any man or woman who shall be guilty of the crime of adultery or fornication shall be liable to indictment and, on conviction, shall be severally punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than one year or by both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.
SECTION 16-15-70. "Adultery" defined.
"Adultery" is the living together and carnal intercourse with each other or habitual carnal intercourse with each other without living together of a man and woman when either is lawfully married to some other person.
Here he is, not having dealt (or willing to deal ) with his own state's current laws on marriage, but willing instead to have his state make laws about someone else's marriage.
We constantly hear from Republicans that there are enough laws on the books, we just need to enforce the laws that are there. Well hey, Mark Sanford, be a leader, set an example. Go before the court, as your state proscribes, and be willing to deal with the consequences of your state laws on marriage. YOUR (past) straight marriage.
G'head
I think we all need grace and we all need love. There's plenty of judgment to go around and there's certainly a role by folks in the media and others to be played in getting things uncovered and wrongs right, but I think that there is abiding need for human grace and love. I got it that day on the street and I've gotten many times since then with people across my state.
-Mark Sanford
2011, interview on Piers Morgan Tonight
Good for me, but not for thee?