Kim

I have been following the Kim Davis drama like it's my job.  I find the whole situation fascinating.  She's a county clerk who issues marriage licenses, but she doesn't believe in gay marriage because marriage is a sacred bond, but she's been married four times, yada yada yada.  It's riveting.  The core issue, as I see it, is not the change in the laws that gives gays the ability to marry.  It is not the moral implications of allowing gays and lesbians the same right as straight couples. The core issue is her outright refusal to perform the job for which she was elected. 

I'm not about to get into whether or not gays should have the right to marry.  Everyone has their own opinion, and they are entitled to it.  The same holds true for Kim Davis.   She is categorically opposed to gay marriage, as dictated by her religion, which is absolutely fine.  She is well within her rights to believe that.  It is not okay, however, for her to refuse to do her job.  Gays have the right to get married now.  It is the law.  Her beliefs do not supersede the law, even if she believes the laws are morally and fundamentally wrong.  It is the law.   

I do feel a tiny bit sorry for her, as it was not law when she was elected.  There was no conflict for her, as gays did not have the right to marry.  In a sense, the government has changed horses in the middle of the race.  They changed the rules in the middle of the game.  She had no way of knowing, when she was first elected, of what was to come.  Be that as it may, the law changed, and she needs to change with it.  Believe what she will, but serve the residents of the county she was elected to serve. 

What I find most interesting is the fact that she is asking the courts to uphold her rights, while denying others theirs.  It simply does not work that way, although I do give her props for trying. She believes she is right, so the court should validate her beliefs.  But what about rights of the couples who have been denied a license?  She wants the courts to deny them theirs.  When you get right down to it, it doesn't matter.  She is basically throwing up a middle finger to the courts, the government, her constituents.  She isn't doing her job. 

The world would be such a wonderful place if everyone would just mind their own business.  I'll decide what's right for me.  You decide what's right for you.  I'm not saying Kim Davis is wrong for her views.  I'm not saying she's right.  But I am saying she should perform the job she was elected to do, and leave her religion at home.