State employees of Kentucky do not have the privilege of deciding who can get a marriage license or not based on their religious convictions.
Kim Davis decided not to issue licenses based on her religious views when she refused to issue licenses to same sex couples. “God’s moral law conflicts with my job duties,” she told the federal judge at the hearing. “You can’t be separated from something that’s in your heart and in your soul,” she said as a U.S. Marshal led her to jail.
Sorry Kim — God and government don’t mix in America — never have, never will.
Claiming religious conviction as your reason is also in violation of your obligations as a state employee.
According to the government employee handbook of Kentucky: “In order to maintain public confidence in a democratic government, certain restrictions are placed upon your conduct. In general, as a public servant, you are prohibited from the following: Using or attempting to use your influence in any matter which involves a substantial conflict between your personal or private interest and your duties in the public interest.”
That about sums it up.
I would think that Kim Davis, Rowan County Clerk, would know this since she is a state employee and should have read that handy dandy handbook when she swore on the Good Book to uphold her position.
However, as it happens, Kim chose to disregard her state-mandated duties and serve her personal religious beliefs, rather than to fulfill the obligations of her elected public position.
And as it sometimes happens, the media outlets and other organizations have chosen to jump into the swill pit to denounce her convictions that motivated that choice — and not based on the fact that it is against Kentucky state policy, but on the fact that she has had several failed marriages and really is no expert on marriage from the get-go.
We get it, she’s a hypocrite. But judging her isn’t our call either.
There’s that media double standard again. She doesn’t have the right to refuse but we can drag her personal life through the mud? Satisfying as that might be, it doesn’t make it right.
Since Kim is showing no signs of reversing her opinions, putting her in jail for contempt really doesn’t serve a purpose. However, kicking her out of her job for failure to uphold the rules and regulations that she is sworn to do and in violating that trust does.
Not for Nuthin’, but if you can’t separate your private convictions from your public responsibilities then you have no right to the job.
Friday is the 14th anniversary of 9-11. Never forget, never forgotten. Rest in peace.
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