A Preemptive Strike with no guts, no glory and no effectiveness.

A very interesting article came out yesterday on Think Progress entitled, "Preemptive Strike: Conservatives Vow To Defy Supreme Court If It Rules For Marriage Equality", where a whole passel of fundies have released a letter Thursday vowing to ignore any U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples.

As the Supreme Court acknowledged in the 1992 decision of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, its power rests solely upon the legitimacy of its decisions in the eyes of the people. If the Supreme Court were to issue a decision that redefined marriage or provided a precedent on which to build an argument to redefine marriage, the Supreme Court will thereby undermine its legitimacy. The Court will significantly decrease its credibility and impair the role it has assumed for itself as a moral authority. It will be acting beyond its proper constitutional role and contrary to the Natural Moral Law which transcends religions, culture, and time.

Unfortunately for these poor fundies, "the people" are not defined as only Conservatives, or only whites, or only the populations of conservative white Southern States.  In this context, "The People" are the ENTIRE population of these United States, and their white southern states ARE part of that union, like it or not.   And, much to their dismay, so are members of the LGBT communities.

The Court is not going to rule on the "definition" of marriage.  It will rule on the Constitutionality of the democratic governments defined and empowered by the United States Constitution being able to discriminate against a narrowly defined group of people based on a single narrow characteristic largely applied to human beings through the expression of their genes.  You know, much like the color of your skin.

If this results in the "redefinition" of marriage, then I'd say it was badly defined in the first place.  As a matter of fact, I believe the entire manner in which government is involved in "marriage" is badly done in this country anyway and needs to be revamped completely.

That said, this whole meltdown on the part of Conservatives is a red herring.  Even if the SCOTUS rules that governments cannot discriminate based on sexual orientation (the gay movement's Holy Grail), it will not affect the ability of the various religious groups in this country who object to gay marriage from continuing to discriminate on that basis.  For them and their marriage practices, NOTHING will change.

Let me say that again.

For the bigoted religious groups who see gay marriage as a sin and forbidden by their god, NOTHING will change.  They can continue to marry only heterosexual couples, forbidding same sex couples from enjoying the sacrament of marriage according to their god.  This ruling will affect only governments and how they can deal with sexual orientation.

So, what's all the fuss about?

Control and influence.

These religious fundamentalists are afraid of seeing another milestone in the decline of their continuing influence in the manner of how this society is controlled and run.   If they can no longer force governments to adhere to their religious practices, they will howl about another "attack" on their religion.  They will play the victim card, no matter how tattered and threadbare that card may have become lately.

It is a continuance of their nightmare come true.

I sincerely hope that the SCOTUS rules against the bigots.  I hope that they put a stake in the heart of bigotry in this country.  It is time for that nasty human characteristic to die out.