No Dogmas Allowed

Our fellow citizens who find themselves in public office do not have a right to tell two of their fellow citizens that they cannot go to the court house and get a government issued marriage license because it violates the office holder's personal religious beliefs. Any politician who makes such an assertion should be removed from office. It is a violation of their oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and, let's face it, it is a blatant display of contempt for the core concept of freedom that is basic to our way of life in America.

As an example of this contemptible mindset, let me introduce you to a Minnesota legislator who believes his religious beliefs should govern all of our lives in this state. He is DFL Rep. John Ward of the Brainerd area. When I asked him to sign onto the marriage equality bill, the Marriage and Family Protection Act in the last biennium, he cheerfully refused, citing his personal religious beliefs, and skipped along his merry way. And, I was apparently supposed to just excuse him, as a matter of course, as if his religious beliefs were a perfectly valid pass for this PUBLIC office holder from respecting and upholding the constitutional rights of the citizens of this state.

Well, religious beliefs are NOT a free pass for John Ward or anyone else in public office. It is their obligation to divorce themselves from the dogma dictated by their religion when fulfilling their responsibilities to the diverse population of this state that depends on its public officials to approach public policy without the injection of bigotry. Any public official that declares that their religious beliefs don't allow them to serve ALL the citizens of this state without bias, is unqualified for public office and should resign or be removed.