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The Missouri Legislature Should Vote down SJR 39

By Montel Williams

 

I spent much of my adult life, and my 22 years in the military as a proud Republican, in no small part, because I believe in fiscal conservatism and was inspired by Ronald Reagan’s powerful message of inclusion at the 1984 Republican convention: “In the party of Lincoln there is no room for intolerance.” I’m an Independent now who proudly wears the label of thoughtful conservative because I believe that the party left me long ago – that it has strayed from the powerful vision that Reagan articulated.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year in Jefferson City, and I’ve come to know many in the Legislature.  My plea now, to my conservative friends, is this: Vote down SJR 39.  Join the ranks of conservatives like Nathan Deal in Georgia, Dennis Daugaard in South Dakota, and Bill Haslam in Tennessee. Do the right thing.  Make clear that the Republican Party is still the party of Lincoln, and Reagan, who demonstrated, through their words and actions, that we must always stand for what’s right, not just when it’s easy or politically expedient. 

SJR 39 fits the recent pattern of ill-conceived, politically foolish, and morally indefensible attempts to make LGBT second-class citizens, under the guise of protecting religious liberty.  The backers of SJR 39 claim the measure simply protects the clergy from being forced to perform same sex marriages; and allows business owners and state employees to extricate themselves from ceremonies that violate a deeply held religious belief.

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Williams

Every place of worship and every member of the clergy has an unassailable right under the First Amendment to determine for whom they perform sacraments. This is not a new principle. It’s a bedrock First Amendment law. Further, as the Missouri law firm of Husch Blackwell pointed out recently, the vague wording of SJR 39 leaves open questions as critical as whether a religious hospital could deny medical services to a person in a same sex marriage. SJR 39, Husch and Blackwell found, also threatens dire economic consequences, such as loss of Federal funding and opposition from the state’s business community, which, based on the experiences of other states who went down this rabbit hole, is largely a sure thing. Simply put, so anxious to jump down this rabbit hole were the proponents of SJR 39 that they appear to have not truly thought through the profound implications of what they propose.

The question facing the House Emerging Issues Committee is monumental: What does the Show Me State wish to be known for? Not since the 19th Century has Missouri codified second class citizenship into its State Constitution. Back then it was slavery, and as today, many rationalized that evil under the guise of faith.  Furthermore, advancing this measure would indeed create a tidal wave of economic consequences. Missouri’s business community has shown time and time again a willingness to use their economic power to oppose ill-conceived measures such as this.  The Committee has the chance to stop passage of this discriminatory law, and preserve Missouri’s good name, and they should take it.  Any members feeling pressure from the other side should know that there are many pro-LGBT equality organizations on the conservative side, ready and willing to step up and defend them if they do the right thing.

The LGBT community, remember, are not asking the Government to force Church or clergy-members to alter their religious beliefs. Not in the slightest! They are asking to be treated equally in civil society, and in this the year 2016, that should be a no-brainer.

Leadership is hard. Doing the right thing is never easy. It wasn’t long ago, remember, that segregation was the law in many parts of this country, including in Missouri. We cannot repeat the mistake of creating, under law, a group of second-class citizens.  The Emerging Issues Committee and the full House face an immense choice–return to a dark period in Missouri’s history, or move forward, toward a bright and prosperous future.

I’d ask Speaker Richardson and Chairman Haahr, whom I know personally to be a good man, to demonstrate leadership on this issue. I’m advocating for LGBT Missourians on this issue because I’m conservative, not in spite of it. I’m doing this because of my faith, not in spite of it. I want my grandkids to read that I stood for tolerance. I’d ask Speaker Richardson and Chairman Haahr—what do you want your grandkids to read about you?

When I signed up as a young Marine, many decades ago, I swore an oath and in doing so signed up to protect and serve all Americans; and I take that oath seriously. Putting SJR 39 to the ballot, as I see it, presents a clear and present danger to the liberty of all Missourians.

 

A graduate of the Naval Academy, Montel Williams served 22 years in both the Navy and the Marines before going on to start the Emmy award winning Montel Williams show, which ran for 17 seasons. Follow him on twitter and facebook.”