Defenders of “Traditional Marriage” Eye Return to “Traditional Race Relations” November 8, 2009

BANGOR – Another victory for defenders of traditional marriage this week in Maine has many within that movement planning a return to another tradition: segregation.

Supporters of the new movement to “protect the sanctity of the races” are looking at several proposals to allow American voters to finally have their say on Brown v. the Board of Education, which they say is the result of “judicial activism.”

Maddie Gallagher, president of the anti-gay marriage group National Association for Marriage, said, “You know, when you think about it humans lived in racial segregation in this country – and others – for a lot longer than we’ve lived with this new, this redefinition of traditional race relations.”

That sentiment was echoed by Dr. James Bodson of the conservative Christian group Family in Focus, who added, “I think it’s important to remember that in the Bible, God performed several miracles in order to separate those Jews and those Africans.  The lord didn’t want the Jews living in Egypt just like he doesn’t want Africans and Americans going to school together or getting intermarried.”

Family in Focus and National Association for Marriage are just two of the groups supporting the idea that traditional marriage is a good start but the country really needs to return to the traditional values of the first half of the twentieth century: a ban on teaching of evolution and vaccinating children against harmful diseases; efforts to root out communists, civil libertarians and other anti-American dissidents; and, yes, racial segregation.

Opponents including the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, and the US Department of Justice have responded, “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

One Maine voter who supported the removal of marriage rights for gays and lesbians in Tuesday’s election responded to questions about the new drive by saying, “I’m not sure about that.  Isn’t that, um, you know, a bit racist?  I voted against a gay being able to get married in this state because, you know, I love my kids and my husband and I love being married.  This doesn’t sound quite right though.  I’ll have to see what they say at church on Sunday about that.”

Pundits say she’ll almost certainly hear support for segregation.  In California’s Prop 8 fight, the Mormons from nearby Utah and Nevada were very influential.  In Maine, the Catholic Church was among the biggest supporters of the repeal.  “The two could join together on a national campaign to, to re-segregate America since both religions supported segregation long, long after everybody else but Bull Connor had seen the light,” said one opponent. “And, well, the Evangelical Christian churches are uh, pretty much all white already…  Good God, they’re going to win, aren’t they?  What the hell?!  This is why we don’t have a pure democracy, people!”

One proposal under consideration is a referendum to repeal at least five of the eight Civil Rights Acts.  Others include the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment in the repeal.  Some envision a “super amendment” that would cover bans on gay marriage, flag burning and the designated hitter in post-season games.

Whatever plan they choose, they’ll have a strong campaign.  Experts agree that no one ever votes for more taxes or rights for others and recent history has shown that extends to removing existing rights.