His smile is saying, “This is totally going to get my face on the news.”
Some of you might have heard people saying things or seen people posting things about how Kim Davis was being unjustly jailed because the Supreme Court cannot make laws, and therefore–since no new law was made for her to break–she was not breaking a law and was being wrongly imprisoned. This idea was even given an air of credibility because former Governor and current presidential candidate Mike Huckabee echoed the same sentiment. And then, a bunch of people (who didn’t know any better, and instinctively trusted Mike Huckabee, a self-professed “man of God”) thought back to high school civics and government and thought, “I seem to remember something about how only the legislative branch of government can make laws–NOT the Supreme Court…. Yeah, that sounds about right! What’s that phrase everyone at Fox”News” is saying? Oh yeah…. Judicial Activism? JUDICIAL OVERREACH!!!!”
No! NO, Mike Huckabee…. NO!!!
Well, I can forgive the public for not knowing any better, but one of two things is going on with Mike Huckabee…. Either 1) He honestly doesn’t know how our government works (which means he has absolutely NO BUSINESS running for President of the United States), or 2) He is intentionally spreading lies in an attempt to pander to a bunch of scared, angry, ignorant white people. And he spent 11 years as Governor of Arkansas, so I’d bet just about everything I have that it’s #2 (in more than one way). Believing a lie is one thing. Intentionally spreading lies–especially from a position of power–is something altogether different. And Mike Huckabee should be ashamed of himself. He is a bad dog, who made a mess on the carpet, and now he needs the American public to rub his nose in it, for the sake of all the other dogs who are watching.
Mildred & Richard Loving. Best last name ever for a court case like this: “Loving vs. Virginia”
Like most good lies, Mike Huckabee’s lie has a bit of truth to it. The SCOTUS does NOT, in fact, make laws. But what it DOES do is that when there is unclarity in a law (or in the highest law of the land–The Constitution), it makes decisions that help to clarify the laws. So, for example, there was a time not too long ago when some states had laws forbidding “whites” from marrying “colored” people. Virginia was one of those states (the Virginia law was called “The Racial Integrity Act of 1924”), and in 1959 Mildred Loving, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, were sentenced to a year in prison for marrying each other. Their sentence was suspended for 25 years on the condition that they would never return to Virginia. In 1964, the lovings sued the state of Virginia, and on July 12, 1967, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Anti-Miscegenation laws (at the time, 16 states still had them–All of them in the South) were unconstitutional.
Something tells me this wasn’t put out by the Huckabee Campaign…
When the Supreme Court did this, they did not make a new law…. They interpreted a law that was already on the books. You see, in 1868 the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. The 14th Amendment has some different parts. The first clause reaffirmed that people who were born here or naturalized had state and federal citizenship regardless of race. The second clause basically said states couldn’t abridge a citizen’s rights. The third clause guaranteed the “due process of law.” And the fourth clause said that no person could be denied “equal protection of the law,” and it is known as the “Equal Protection Clause.” In the case of “Loving vs. Virginia,” the SCOTUS ruled that Anti-Miscegenation laws violated both a person’s right to “due process” and “equal protection.” It didn’t make a new law…. It CLARIFIED an old one. In the opinion for the unanimous Court, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote, “Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.”
Here we see former Governor Huckabee showing the size of something… I can only assume it’s his integrity.
This landmark decision was referred to multiple times by the SCOTUS when reaching their decision about the constitutionality of state laws forbidding same-sex marriage. The case was a bit different, because for the entirety of the United States’ existence, marriage had always been defined as being between a man and a woman…. But appeals to tradition are not legally valid–In other words, basically saying “But we’ve ALWAYS discriminated against the gays!” is not a good enough reason to keep on discriminating against them. But this has been what the Supreme Court–at its best–has always done: It has extended to discriminated groups the rights that are fundamental to them. The right to marry is considered a fundamental right. And just because your religion (or Kim Davis’ religion) doesn’t view the love and commitment of a gay couple as being legitimate, it doesn’t change their fundamental right to equal protection under the law. When democracy is used to withhold the rights of the minority, that’s EXACTLY when we need a Constitution. And a Supreme Court. And no, a County Clerk’s right to discriminate against a minority group–even if she claims to do so for religious reasons–is not a right that is protected by the Constitution. People used their “religious beliefs” as the reasoning for wanting “Racial Integrity.” And they still do….
I thought about putting a picture of Rosa Parks or MLK here, but instead I’ll just post this pic of Mike playing base with Ted Nugent. AKA, “The Nuge.” Because freedom.
So then, when Kim Davis–acting as an agent of the state–refused to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, she was breaking a law that was just recently clarified…. Namely, that the Equal Protection Clause applies to gay folks as well. So Kim Davis is no “Freedom Fighter.” She is no Rosa Parks, and she is certainly no Martin Luther King, Jr. If she is any historical figure, she is the stubborn, bigoted person who sentenced Mildred and Richard Loving to prison for wanting to get married. And you know why we don’t know that person’s name? Because that person was on the wrong side of history. At worst that person is hatefully ignorant, and at best that person is a sad, misguided soul. And I believe that is who Kim Davis is: A sad, misguided soul. It’s no excuse, but she honestly probably doesn’t know any better.
I’m not kidding: Dangerous.
But you know who DOES know better? Mike Frigging Huckabee. He is riding the wave of white anger and fear, and he is not only pandering to those angry, fearful people, but he is doing it by spreading information about the Supreme Court that he KNOWS is false. Mike Huckabee knows how the Supreme Court works, but he has people all worked up and afraid that the Supreme Court is going to put them in jail for their religious beliefs. He is a liar, and a charlatan. He is using the whole “I’m a Christian Candidate” thing to try to attain a position of power within a government whose fundamental principles he genuinely seems to hate. His words and actions these last few years have been despicable. He is a theocrat of the worst kind–One that is dishonest. I didn’t think this was possible, but I think he might be a more dangerous candidate than Donald Trump. I would vote for a Donald Trump/Sean Hannity ticket before I’d vote for Mike Huckabee for president, and that it SAYING A LOT.
Man! Mike Huckabee got me all worked up…. Now, I honestly hope this is the last time I write about this garbage. There is some important stuff to talk about right now regarding the Church’s response to Immigrants and Refugees, as well as a Christianity’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Maybe I can even find some time for some Bathroom Humor. If you see someone posting something about the Supreme Court not being able to make laws, about “Judicial Overreach,” or about fear of the SCOTUS making it illegal to be a Christian, feel free to leave this post as a comment on Facebook. Or as a reply on Twitter. Thank again for reading!
The Boeskool 
Well done post! I am waving my Harry Potter wand over the entire Kim Davis incident and especially over Mike Huckabee and saying “riddikulus” ! Then I am going to pray that I don’t find myself nodding in agreement with the Donald, because that felt really weird.
Lest you paint the state of Arkansas with the broad Huckster brush, he was not elected in a landslide. There are plenty of us who do not share his bigotry; the state produced Bill Clinton of the federal surplus Clintons; it has the best child healthcare in the country and many other positive, non- Huckster folks who believe in progress.
Thank you for the reminder, Greg. I hope it didn’t seem like I was dissing the whole state….
Spot-on, as usual. He has acted shamefully, and is pandering.
Nailed it!
my one caveat would be that Huckabee’s response makes trump a viable candidate. Richard dawkins says it quite well with this, “To say Y is worse than X is not an endorsement of Y”. we should never be content to choose the best one on the shelf when they’re all broken, all these gop options are vile and distasteful and I am not even talking about their politics, just their obscene pandering and lack of empathy or any sense of human decency. the dem/rep parties have moved so much on the political scale that neither of them are recognizable as the party of a few decades ago, why people ‘lock in’ to either party, without researching what they actually stand for, is the greatest threat to our democracy, personal liberty and civilization. the low information electorate is dangerous, the fact that the press cannot get anyone to read actual reporting (or pay for it, which means candidates choose their press) leaves us to listen to endless attack ads that tell us little (or everything). about these candidates. whey they do go off script, as Huckabee appears to have here (I know it was completely scripted…sadly), they expose the bigots that they are.
(micro rant, over)
otherwise, as Dan says…spot on…
For sure, Troy. I’m not saying anything CLOSE to “Trump is a viable candidate.” I’m just saying that in a game of “Would You Rather,” if given the choice between an overly honest Ass Hat, and a deceptive, lying, fake-Christian Ass Hat, I would be forced to choose the former….
Great post, Chris. If anything, your post should open the eyes of Kim Davis supporters to the fact the Constitution has more than just two Amendments.
Very well said, Chris- thank you for explaining all the history behind this appalling drama of Kim Davis and Huckabee. It blows my mind that some people actually are treating them as heroes and are even listening to them! Keep up your good work- hopefully things will change one fine day.
The Mike Huckabee’s and Kim what ever her name is give Christ followers a black eye, a horrible reputation, thanks for taking the rock off of these two and letting a little sunshine on it! Awesome, well researched post.
I love living in the USA …I cant say I agree with every thing , or everybody’s lifestyle , but I try to mind my own business
Great post, Chris. Thank you for the information about the SCOTUS. Mike Huckabee is a lying, vile, despicable man. I love this sentence… “if given the choice between an overly honest Ass Hat, and a deceptive, lying, fake-Christian Ass Hat, I would be forced to choose the former.” Let’s hope both of these Ass Hats fade away in the next couple of months and we never have to hear their names again.
“You’ve been huckabee’d!” I love it! How can people be so stupid (sorry, but it’s true) as to believe in this man? He’s a disingenuous fraud and a true danger to society. And there are people who really believe he’d make a good president? God help us all. Btw, did you see the article the other day (in USA Today, if I recall correctly) that showed the education level of people who say they will vote for Huckabee? Most had only a high school education. No surprise.
I have been thinking she is like George Wallace who ignored the Courts when he tried to refuse entrance of black students to the University of Alabama. The President sent in the National Guard to enforce the law.
Great read – couldn’t agree more! My favorite quote is in the comments – ” if given the choice between an overly honest Ass Hat, and a deceptive, lying, fake-Christian Ass Hat, I would be forced to choose the former….” VERY scary thought but I’m afraid I’d have to agree. Let’s pray it doesn’t come to that!
You’re a vindictive little butt, aren’t you. Where’s the Jesus in you, because I’m not seeing him.
Oh look! farmgirljo is still reading your blog. Repeats are good for numbers!
I’ve always been a big hit with Farm Girls….
I bet we’d be friends if we knew each other in real life, Jo. No offense taken…. I’m sure you’re doing the best with what you have.
Straight out pimping God and the Christian religion for the sake of a few votes. I hesitated using pimping vs pandering but the Huckabee/Liberty Attorneys staged scene deserves the not nice word. When you get this desperate to become President of all the people, you do a great disservice to whatever God you serve.
Mike “Muckabee” lied to the people of Arkansas for 8 years. He lied when he ran for president the first time. He’s lying now. He will continue to lie.
P.S. He also raised a child who hung a dog from a tree and beat it to death.
I’m an old woman, stuck in Kentucky for life, (some parts of it are truly awesome if you ignore our senators), I have only now discovered your blog and I love you. How’s that for a sentence?
It would be nice to believe that this piece would change the minds of those supporting Kim “my divorces don’t count cuz I’m saved now” Davis, but you used logic, and history, and lots of words.
Sadly you missed the only good news in this story, which was that Huckabee apparently fought off Ted Cruz to be in the picture with Kim. I’m hoping that this will lead to an epic battle of “I’m more christian” which will end with them canceling each other out in some magical and completely permanent way.
So is it fair to say that your some sort of Christian hater? Atheist, Muslim just plain hateful or what
What is it about bigots that makes them unable to understand the difference between “your” and “you’re?” Is it a genetic mutation? Is there an “Idiot’s Guide to Grammar for Bigots” that I’m not aware of? It seems to be universal with these nut jobs.
Isn’t that so funny, Kathy?
Choskins–“Christian haters” are what the world has come to know most Christians as: Christians who hate. I love atheists, Muslims, and Christians…. I just feel a responsibility–as a Christian myself–to speak up when I see Christians acting in a way that makes Jesus look like a gun-toting, fear-filled, immigrant-hating, ass hole. Jesus is awesome. Everybody knows that…. It’s his followers that are giving Christianity the bad name.
Do I come across as “hateful” to you? If I have, I’m sorry. Sometimes I laugh (or poke fun) to keep from crying….
In response to the Christian hater comment, I do not know the blogger personally, but I doubt he is a Christian hater, a hater of Mike Huckabee or republicans at all. I think the blogger simply researches his opinion and states it. I do not agree with everything in the posts as I believe that the clerk had her personal right to refuse due to religious reasons just as a judge can remove themselves from a case or an attorney can remove themselves for just cause. What should be available is a clerk or authority that IS willing to uphold whatever the law is interpreted to represent. But back to your comment, the blogger prefers to focus on facts and present his opinion as he allows the readers to do also. In fact, it’s encouraged! Good day 🙂