Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk, was jailed on Sept. 3 for refusing to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples. However, she was released after five days. Today, same-sex marriages does not have the same stigma that it once did. We have television shows that promote positive reinforcement of anybody’s sexuality to ease the process of coming out. Although Davis is completely out of line by abusing her government power in order to deny any couple of a marriage license, she should not be incarcerated again.
Davis had a sworn-in duty to serve the community with marriage licenses and her opinion on same-sex marriage got in the way of her doing so. What I find offensive and appalling is that she had the support of her town when she carried out the clear wrongdoing. After being released, Davis appeared to her cheering supporters outside of the Carter County Detention Center, where she was held. The fact that she walked on stage to a roaring applause followed by the song, “Eye of the Tiger,” is outrageous. Davis threw up her hands in triumph at the encouragement of her lawyer Matthew D. Staver. The crowd is clearly protected under the First Amendment for freedom of speech, but the community is idolizing Davis, and in turn, making same-sex couples targets. Additionally, by accepting Davis’s actions, the community is creating a clear separation between those who are heterosexual and those who are not.
I do not support or believe in anything that Davis is doing, but incarcerating her once again is an excessive punishment. There are other rational actions to take. I believe that she should no longer hold a government position. She clearly cannot serve her community and the people of her town objectively. As a government worker, she should proudly represent her county in only positive ways. Her job, first and foremost, is to improve the quality of life within her town, but by staying inside her assigned government duty.
It was not like Davis denied her actions or showed remorse. According to USA Today, when Judge David L. Bunning ruled last month that she was forced by law to issue the licenses, she still did not sign off on it. It was when she remained resistant that they held her in contempt until she was sent to jail. Davis is drawing attention to her county in Kentucky by making it a symbol of denying same-sex marriage.
Davis has consciously started a battle in the courtroom for the right of marriage licenses that were voided. In addition, there have been rallies scheduled on her behalf — she has completely caused an uproar. Davis is not only causing a vast separation between the gay community and the police and government, but is poorly representing her county and soiling Kentucky’s reputation.
On Sept. 14, Davis returned to work and turned to the public to say that she will no longer be interfering with marriage licenses. Even though she is retiring her power, she still continues to state that without her authorization, she does not trust the validity of future marriage licenses. Davis should no longer be involved in government work if she continues to have her judgement get in the way of her job.
Leave a Reply