Two weeks ago, I was in the editorial department office the day before deadline and was asked if I knew what I’d write about in this column. I said I didn’t know, but probably the state Supreme Court decision on SeaTac minimum wage, and there was heard: “Yes! I knew it!”
I find myself wondering what, if any, guesses are circulating. Let’s see, Trump was an ass again; I could write about that. There’s the refugee crisis. Not much amusement in it, though. The stock market has been tumbling. Maybe later. Kim Davis, Kim Davis, Kim Davis. Sure, no-brainer.
Fine, but first I want to mention the story about Google’s driverless cars. The story appeared in the New York Times and described a multitude of problems that Google driverless cars were having. Nearly all problems resulted from the cars sharing the roads with cars with human drivers, because, well, human drivers are unpredictable, don’t follow the rules and are nuts. Maybe you’re seeing what I’m seeing now.
One of the examples given was the poor driverless car stuck forever at a four-way stop because none of the driven cars would come to a full stop, as the law demanded. Instead, they’d roll up and charge through when they saw hesitation. Basically, the driverless car was bullied by one after another pig-ape bone-sack elbowing past him.
I just identified with a robot car. That’s crazy. I did it because even though I am a pig-ape bone-sack myself, I am capable of seeing that the poor driverless car (and its passengers, don’t forget them) is getting the raw deal. I’m looking at who is getting overpowered.
I’ve tried to explain this before. When the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was cooked up, the authors had in mind devising law that would protect minorities. They had liberal motives and wanted to end such things as federal harassment of Native Americans who used peyote in sacred ceremonies. This was a noble idea that suffered one serious flaw.
The law would be used by pig-ape bone-sack bullies to get their own way. There was simply no way to write a clause into the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that would protect minorities from religious majorities, once the religious majorities were released by this one law from all others.
Fortunately, the Supreme Court struck the stupid law down, mostly. However, they left enough of it intact that Hobby Lobby could successfully use it to get a phony religious exemption from federal employer/employee health mandates. Therefore, if I’m Christian, I don’t have to obey laws. Therefore, laws only apply to non-Christians. Therefore, they must do my bidding, while I do what I wish.
No, that was me being sarcastic. The Hobby Lobby decision doesn’t apply here. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act doesn’t apply here.
The government in this situation is, in fact, Kim Davis. She is the elected official throwing her power around. If people want to practice their religious beliefs and get married in their own way, all she has to do is grant that they have met the requirements of the law to do so, and let them conduct their marriage rites according to their way. The license doesn’t perform the marriage, it only affirms there is no state law preventing it.
The Religious Freedom of Restoration Act is irrelevant, but if it were applied at all it would be to protect the rights of same-sex couples to be married, in accordance with their beliefs, over those of any government agency or agent standing in the way.
Until recently, there was state law prohibiting the marriage of gays and lesbians asking for licenses in Kim Davis’ office, but those laws were nullified, and that’s all there is to it.
The license says the marriages are legal, which, in truth, they are. So she can do her job.
In the meantime, if you happen to see a driverless car stopped at a four-way, and it’s on your right, let him go. Don’t be a pig-ape bone-sack bully.