Wow. At first glance, that’s all I can say about the comments from Pastor Hayes Wicker of Naples, Florida. Here’s what he said at an anti-gay event last week:
This is a tremendous social crisis, greater even than the issue of slavery.
Wow.
For those who don’t know, fundamentalist right-wingers in Florida are attempting to pass a constitutional amendment in Florida this year that would ban gay marriage in the Sunshine State. The same gay marriage that is already illegal under four separate parts of state law. And this amendment wouldn’t just ban gay marriage, it would also prevent civil unions, cities and corporations from offering benefits to gay couples and anyone from giving benefits to unmarried straight couples. But let’s leave aside the practical implications of the proposed gay marriage ban in question, I’ve talked about that in the past and I’ll come back to it over and over again throughout the year, let’s look at the hate ingrained in this particular phrase.
This is a tremendous social crisis, greater even than the issue of slavery.
Keep in mind, this isn’t about banning gay marriage. Gay marriage is already banned in Florida under four different laws. What this nutjob is actually saying is that the fact that they haven’t yet enshrined hatred in the Florida Constitution, despite not one single legal gay marriage ever taking place in Florida, is not only a “tremendous social crisis,” but one greater than slavery. That shows an astounding amount of hatred not only for gay people, but for African Americans as well.
Let’s take a quick look at the history of slavery and its outgrowths in American history:
- Slavery caused approximately 30 million people to be ripped out of their homes, families and lives
- Slavery included the horrible conditions of the Middle Passage, where the cramped, diseased and abusive conditions led to the deaths of as many as 15 million people
- Slavery in America was hundreds of years of the near total subjugation of an entire class of people
- Slavery involved the beating, flogging, raping, and murder of millions of people
- Slavery tore apart families, kept people illiterate, and kept most in abject poverty
- Slavery nearly destroyed the United States
- Slavery led to the death of one of America’s greatest presidents
- Slavery transformed into sharecropping, tenant farming and the prison-lease system, which combined to keep most African Americans in virtual slavery through the beginning of the twentieth century
- Slavery laid the groundwork for Jim Crow, lynching, a corrupt justice system, assassination and the long-term economic deprivation of African Americans long past the end of slavery
Now, for comparison’s sake, let’s take a quick look at the history of no gay marriages in Florida and the fact that the ban on gay marriage isn’t in the Florida constitution:
- Gay marriage ripped no one out of their home, family or life
- Gay marriage included no Middle Passage
- Gay marriage killed no one
- Gay marriage led to the subjugation of no one
- Gay marriage involved no beatings, floggings, rapes or murder
- Gay marriage tore apart no families, kept no one illiterate and led to no poverty
- Gay marriage has had no negative effect on the United States
- Gay marriage killed no presidents
- Gay marriage transformed into no forced subjugation or de facto slavery
- Gay marriage did not lay the groundwork for segregation, lynching, corruption, assassination or economic deprivation
One of these things is not like the other.
And just in case you weren’t convinced by that quote that this was all about hate, the article goes further:
Without such an amendment or a law, Wicker said, it could lead to legal marriages in Florida between “man and dog†and “father and child.â€
Wow.
This isn’t just about hatred, it’s about stupidity. How is it possible for someone to be so wrong and so misguided about so much? In the annals of critical thinking there is a logical fallacy known as the slippery slope. Simply put the argument that one step in a particular direction guarantees that we will continue down that path towards worse outcomes. In the real world, it’s hardly ever true. In this case, it’s incredibly untrue. First off, without this amendment, gay marriage is still illegal in Florida. And even if gay marriage were legal, the fact that two consenting adult humans who are unrelated could marry would in no way legally require bestiality or incest being made legal. It’s the height of silliness to think otherwise. Those things would still be illegal under other laws, including federal constitutional law. Beyond that, the people who support the legality of gay marriage don’t support the legality of bestiality or incest. In fact, they all oppose it. Just like everyone else. And if gay marriage were made legal, it wouldn’t change anyone’s opinion on these other issues. How do we know? Because gay marriage is legal in several places. Bestiality and incest aren’t. And there are no negative consequences for anyone out of that legalization. Not one. These arguments are ludicrous and the people that say things like:
This is a tremendous social crisis, greater even than the issue of slavery.
Or
Without such an amendment or a law, Wicker said, it could lead to legal marriages in Florida between “man and dog†and “father and child.â€
are not only ignorant, they are morally bankrupt and about as un-American as a person could possibly be. Hatred of other citizens based on their innate characteristics, particularly when those characteristics harm no one, is as close to evil as one can get without raping, molesting or killing someone.
the ignorence involved in there so-called religious thinking just boggles the mind these hatemongers that hide behind there bible to spew such nonsence just shows every reasonablely thinking adult or child for that matter that these ppl need to be shunned need to be put away and never be heard from again and the one question I would love to ask these ppl is if ur god hates gay ppl sooooo much then why isnt his hatered spelled out in his big hunk of stone you slobber over called the ten commandments if he hates this sooo much why didnt your god snap his fingers and say let there be no more homosexuality since he is supose to be all powerful and since its been proven that the ppl that r screwin dogs and kids happen to be mostly strait white and in some cases married men are u ganna have a law aginst married white men to its no wonder florida has its own tag on fark .com and all you have to do to ask these questions is go to your local public bathroom and wait there sure to show up for some good old fashioned pervy fun
Dear Pastor Hayes Wicker,
“I think thou protest too much.”
Now that is funny…
Here is Dr. Wicker’s “Letter to the Editor” in response to their article they released:
Recently, couples from diverse denominations gathered to celebrate marriage in the Chapel of First Baptist Church, where I have served as pastor for 16 years. It was particularly part of the statewide support of seniors for Constitutional Amendment #2, which has been placed on the November 4th ballot. We renewed the vows of “holy matrimony” and affirmed that marriage is “the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife” the bedrock institution upon which the family and civil society are built.
At that event, I made several remarks regarding the grave dangers facing America if the institution of marriage is redefined and cast aside. Opponents to marriage have strategically seized upon those remarks in an attempt to take the focus off the issue of marriage and the danger of permitting the U.S. Courts to reconstruct this most basic human institution. I also noted: “If marriage and the home deteriorates, the culture and society will be dissolved. From the very beginning, according to nature, history, tradition, and the Word of God, marriage has been between a man and a woman.”
In my remarks I mentioned slavery because it was the defining issue of social justice from the Founding era until the end of the Civil War and even into the 1960’s. My remarks were not intended to diminish the crucial importance of eliminating slavery and all forms of racism from American culture. I am deeply sorry for any hurt that my statement may have caused to anyone affected by the evil stain of slavery. As a Christian, I deeply deplore hatred in all its forms and urge love for all people.
Radically reconstructing the institution of marriage could readily become the defining issue of social justice in the 21st century, especially if such a radical change occurs through the abuse of power by activist judges. Even a brief study of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas reveals the dangers of judicial activism to the institution of marriage and to the most basic civil rights of association, free speech and religious liberty. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Scalia rightly indicated that this ruling now defines personhood on the basis of sexuality and has enormous implications for marriage and the home. As in some other countries, those who hold to traditional marriage could be prosecuted for “hate speech” if they publicly speak out.
Destroying the institution of marriage will affect every person of every race, every family, every local community and state, every school district, legislature, courtroom, classroom and board room in America. Such a watershed issue cannot be diminished in its significance. It is incumbent on the people of Florida and every state to do all they can to make a clear constitutional statement of intention in support of the traditional definition of marriage as the union of only a man and woman. While we offer love to all, may true patriots and lovers of truth never turn a deaf ear or blind eye to evil as once happened during those years of slavery.