In another red state, where an Oklahoma governor and legislature have failed to improve a slumping economy, anti-gay legislature is their primary concern, while impeaching President Obama a close second. Time and money is wasted in an effort to protect the un-Constitutional Christian religious right.
Governor Mary Fallin vetoed a bill Friday which would have allowed criminal charges to be filed against any doctor who performed a legal abortion, and remove his or her license. It wasn’t that Fallin was against the bill, the fact is that the state would have received multiple lawsuits from pro-choice groups and individuals. Always follow the money.
But that’s just one issue the Republican legislature found more important than the needs of the people they are intended to represent. They are in favor of a similar bill which North Carolina passed, violating the Title-Nine section of the Civil Rights Act. But they are taking a step farther, and seek the impeachment of President Obama.
The President ordered all public bathrooms to be available for transgendered Americans based on their gender identity. Oklahoma, well-known for its racism, bigotry, and now homophobia, believes that the President is violating the law by upholding the law, and supporting equal protection under the law according to the Constitution.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but when I look closely, I come to a single conclusion; Republican legislators at all levels are ignorant.
The Republican led Congress took action to insure that Facebook was presenting its views of the world. I did not know that Facebook was a legitimate news network.
Our states and our nation are facing serious problems, which if not addressed will cause great suffering for Americans in the not too distant future. If you are a politician, keep your religion to yourself; keep it out of my life. Your “faith” is costing taxpayer dollars, and over 65 million of us don’t want to pay for your cult.
“In a time when our state is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, our lawmakers should be focused on righting the ship rather than stigmatizing transgender youth,” Troy Stevenson, executive director of the LGBT advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma, told Reuters in a statement.
We need serious leaders. America was created to protect individual freedom, and an important part of that freedom is the right to practice the religion of your choice, or none at all. When the rights of the many are threatened by the few, which includes the Christian religious right, common sense and the Constitution tell us that we must defend those rights.
Although the Republican led legislature in Oklahoma is reprehensible, it cannot be blamed for the waste of time or cost as the result of these issues. Those accountable are Oklahoma’s voters. These men and women would not be in office without their support.
Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility; it must not be a casual effort. Your choices, good or bad, will affect you, your family, and your friends for years to come.
I read too much, and it depresses me to know one fact; more than 65 percent of all of our elected officials are unqualified for the positions they hold. Our federal and some state governments are useless because voters have elected ambitious men and women who are not interested in serving the people.
Think carefully in November; leave you emotions at home and vote with your brain, not your heart. “Likability” is not a qualification for holding public office.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of Michael Vadon
The Truth With No Restrictions 