In Marshall County, Alabama, Sheriff Mac Holcomb thinks we lost our way and wants to
roll back the clock to the 1940s and 50s, a period of stronger values. While he doesn't specifically say whether that rollback should include a return to segregation, he is clear on how he feels about them queers. In a letter on
the official Marshall County website, he writes:
Men were men and women were women and there was no mistaking which was which. Both were proud of their individual roles. Homosexuality was very queer and a despicable act... an abomination.
This is not the ramblings of some yahoo on Free Republic or some righty pundit. It's a country sheriff posting on an official county website and hanging the letter in the lobby of his office (it's been there since 1995.)
Now, if an individual feels that way, that's their problem. I'd rather they didn't, but ultimately it's their right to hold bigoted viewpoints. If that person holds a key public office like, say, Sheriff, it's a bit more concerning. If that person expresses those views in an official capacity, well, we have a problem.
A California man came across Holcomb's letter while looking for resources to help his elderly mother who lives in Marshall County. And while he learned the site was paid for by Marshall County, he also learned the county has no control of the sheriff's department and likely nothing would be done without a court order. Court order, ey? Looks like the ACLU is about to pick up a new case in Alabama.