Why can't they just come out and say it...
Everyone is a genius when it comes to figuring out exactly what Ann Barnett is thinking when it came to her reasoning for stopping civil ceremonies, the day after the Supreme Court overturned Prop 22 outlawing same sex marriages in California.
Only she didn't say what they wanted and still hasn't to this day.
Some of the other media in the market have camped out in her office, trying to get the golden sound bite. They've even touted interviews they've gotten as "Ann Barnett Answers Questions!!!"
No she didn't.
Unless Barnett comes out and says on camera or tape that she dumped all civil services because they conflict with her personal religious beliefs, then you have nothing.
Put all the pieces together you want. Draw all the inferences you can. Play Sherlock Holmes and analyze every little scrap you can dig up.
But without the admission by Barnett, you have innuendo.
Circumstantial evidence will not do in this case.
And all the hounding and ambush tactics in the world won't get the confession you're looking for.
Ask all the media types who've chased David Crisp across the parking lot if they've gotten the confession they were hoping for on tape.
What the media is left with in this story is this: same sex couples loudly celebrating their victory on June 17th in Kern County and anyone who will stand up and voice their disapproval with the decision.
Enter Chad Vegas.
I've had my problems with Chad in the past on a couple issues, but find him to be a straight forward man, firmly grounded in his religious beliefs.
I personally believe though he was pulling a Barnett on the whole "In God We Trust" poster debate, but I'll leave that alone.
There has been a backlash against the media for shining a spotlight on Vegas in the wake of his e-mail to Supervisors in which he demanded their support for Ann Barnett.
He confirmed the e-mail to ABC23 when asked about it and defended his stance.
In the e-mail, Vegas wrote that he would work vigorously to remove from office any supervisor that does not support her in this difficult time.
He continued with this quote: "As we face one of the most important constitutional issues in the history of this great Republic, I want to make it clear that nothing short of complete opposition to homosexual marriage will be tolerated!"
HOORAY!!!!
Someone who opposes gay marriage that actually stood up and said it clearly.
I mean, we didn't know about it until Whitney Wedell forwarded us a copy from the Kern Democrat website, but still he was the first person to say it out loud.
I asked a couple people in the newsroom their thoughts on same sex marriage and got an uncomfortable response.
Others said they didn't care one way or the other.
Still, everyone has an opinion, but few who oppose it will stand up and talk about it. Who wants to get labeled, right?!
Before you pick up the next rock to bash the media, (TV and print) for covering this story, think about why you are doing it.
It's a story whether you like it or not, support it or not, discuss it or not, and the only people talking about it publicly are the ones celebrating the decision.
Despite opinion polls (I've never trusted) that seem to indicate there is a much different social climate in California since Prop 22 was passed eight years ago, I still believe that voters will define marriage as a man and a woman in November.
I will be voting in favor of traditional values.
I was raised in an Irish Roman Catholic household, in case your wondering.
One of my brothers is very active in the church and e-mailed me an explanation when it comes to the church and marriage.
Here is one excerpt:
The Roman Catholic Church cannot recognize a same sex relationship as a marriage simply because it is not marriage. Marriage is more than a contract - it is a covenant. The term the Catholic Church uses for the Sacrament is Holy Matrimony - Matrimony means "the way of making a mother".
What the Supreme Court did was approve a contract.
That is why I believe many people have not been driven to protest in the streets or will even show up to picket the ceremonies on Tuesday.
Maybe one day Ann Barnett will feel comfortable enough to cough up the "Golden Sound Bite".
Maybe the county really can't afford to keep doing weddings.
Maybe voters will vote for tradition in November and overturn the Supreme Court ruling.
Then, we'll be back to square one again.
Maybe this time, we'll get the answers and sound bites we're looking for.
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9 comments:
Ask all the media types who've chased David Crisp across the parking lot...
Being chased by the media is the least of his worries. He's going to be chased around his cell by Bubba.
You make it sound like Chad Vegas was the only one to stand up against the ruling. Has every pastor giving sermons in Bakersfield been asked? I don't believe Vegas stood up except in a threatening letter that was not supposed to be made public.
Even Vegas himself said his letter wasn't newsworthy... yet I find that a contradiction. Why was he giving interviews about his letter if he didn't find it newsworthy? Shouldn't he have ignored the media outcry?
Bad move on his part. Makes him sound wishy-washy, not a stand-up voice-his-opinion kind of guy.
I think there are allllll kinds of pastors who will stand up against homosexuality if you shove a microphone in their face. Go ahead and start asking them. There are 100s of pastors in Bakersfield and Kern County.
The only reason Vegas was asked was because his letter was leaked.
That's not being stand-up. That's just gloating in the media for more attention. Remember, he's a trustee. He's a politician of sorts. That's what they do.
I'm not gay but I'm happy for gay marriages. I don't like that America hides it's group diversity.
None of this is surprising. This proposed amendment to California's State Constitution, that if approved by a simple majority would outlaw same-sex marriages in the most progressive state in the Nation, is an obvious lightning rod.
The repercussions will be felt on a national level and will have staying power.
Politicians, priests, parents and perverts will pick a side and make their stand.
I'm a voter in California and I'll be voting against this amendment. I don't want to get in the way of someone else's happiness just because I don't get it. It's not about me, it's about them.
I'm not particularly comfortable with the gay lifestyle but I realize my personal preferences don't apply here. What does apply is the voice inside my head that says we need to stop thinking in terms of 'us' and 'them' when dealing with the gay and lesbian community.
They are people, just like us. They deserve the same basic human rights as us. We are no better than them, just different. Who are we to deny them happiness? What give us the right?
My traditional marriage does not feel threatened by the happiness of others.
He didn't stand up until AFTER his letter was leaked.
He would have remained completely anonymous without the help of the person who leaked it.
There are plenty of pastors who will speak up against same sex marriage, but few, if any, who will take it to County Hall.
Mike: Good point about taking their stand to county hall. Maybe most pastors recognize they can talk to the flock but shouldn't always take their religious views to the county hall, like you mentioned...
If you're straight, your opinion on the subject of gay marriage doesn't matter and shouldn't matter in America. It doesn't affect you in any way. You should step back from the issue. You're offending your friends, co-workers possibly family members by your arrogance and ignorance on a subject that doesn't concern you nor your life! If you're not gay...don't vote on the issue in November...leave it blank! Just imagine what would've happened in the history of the US if we had left it up to the majority to decide the fate of minorities. America is about equal rights for all...not for some.
ok mike i like how u brought this issue up.... about the media hounding her down.... its funny to see the station running people down...if u notice the people they were running down were just clerks...they dont have the answers...and until she gives that golden sound bite its all hear say.... for the anonymous who says if ur not gay then u shouldnt vote!!! wtf!!!! people like that are the problem.... this is effecting everyone.... its not just about gays its about everyone.... r u telling me that since im in america i cant vote on this issue....what about if u dont drive. u shouldnt vote when it comes to improving our roads...or if u dont have a kid in a school then u shouldnt vote for improvements for education....is that what ur trying to say..... listen im not here to bash anyone...(except for those idots at that one station who get off slapping themselves on there backs for doing there job its ur job come on) other then them...do what u want...and ill do what i want...ITS AMERICA THATS WHY EVERYONE HAS THAT CHOICE!!! well mike if i ever meet u i got ur back..... go condors!!!!! lol
What is amazing to me is simply this: For years we have been told there needs to be a separation of church and state. The separation of church and state is the reason kids are not allowed to pray in school or be taught any biblical classes. It is the reason for not allowing prayers at graduation ceremonies and for removing the Ten Commandments from courthouses. Presumably, it was the reason one ranking member of the KHSD recently prevented the distribution of bibles after a recent graduation.
Yet after all this talk about how imperative it is to maintain the separation of church & state, we come to this: The State Supreme Court has decided that marriage, a fundamentally religious institution whose origins are biblical, is a state protected right that should be equally available to every citizen. Bottom line: You now have the state dictating to the church what its own institution is.
God himself defined marriage in the book of Genesis as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman, and this definition has stood the test of time for several millennia. Marriage is not an institution created by either our federal constitution or by our state constitution, yet our state supreme court has decided to hijack this institution for its own purposes, namely the recognition and normalization of homosexual relationships.
Redefining marriage will not be the final battle of the gay rights agenda. It is just another step in their ultimate goal. They want to redefine who God is, and now they have the power of the state to achieve this. They do not want the God of the Bible and have sought ways to destroy that God and replace Him with a more politically correct version. They demand a God that does not judge, will not condemn, and allows our transgressions to continue irregardless of what God has said for thousands of years. No longer content with the God of creation, they recreate God in their own image, and allow the fundamental definition of marriage to be changed into whatever the current passion of the month dictates. I find it no surprise that the leader of the local Unitarian Church officiated over the marriage of several gay couples recently.
For humanity to continue in this downward spiral of recreating God in our own image is nothing new. Redefining God represents the height of arrogance. Ultimately, it does not matter if it is a politically correct god, a changing of the definition of marriage, a rewriting the bible to exclude that which is offensive, a Unitarian Church that seeks peace at the expense of truth, or a golden calf at the base of Mount Sinai, false gods and false teachings have been humanity's playthings for the majority of our existence.
We never change.
Amen
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