Locals weigh in on DOMA

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman -- drawing both praise and criticism across the country and here in Vernon County.

President Barak Obama applauded the decision.

"This was discrimination enshrined in law," he said in a weekly statement to the press. "It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal -- and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

But not all Democrats feel the same.

U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri)said she believes the Court got it wrong.

"The activist ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act ignored the votes of a bipartisan majority of Congress. This alarming precedent disempowers Congress from making national policy with respect to marriage," she said. "This is a serious loss for democratic self-government and the rights of the people to stand for marriage as the union between one man and one woman."

Referring to the Supreme Court's decline to rule on Proposition, Hartzler said the Court denied supporters of the proposition, California's constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage.

Currently, the lower court ruling invalidating California's Prop. 8 stands.

"While California has silenced their citizens, the Supreme Court has not created a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Missouri's policy of one-man and one-woman marriage stands," she said.

State Sen. Ed Emery (R-Lamar) agrees the decision on DOMA was wrong.

"The Court doesn't always issue the right opinion," he said. "It's another demonstration of judicial activism. The courts have become very arrogant in believing they are the ones in charge of legislation rather than the legislatures.

"I do think it puts an even greater emphasis on the need to continue to recognize that the federal government is empowered by the states, not vice versa."

Emery called the decision contrary to logic, reason and tradition.

"The step to empower a special group who is completely outside mainstream, nature and nature's God is an extreme departure from the history and heritage of the country," he said. "It's a complete denial of the institution of marriage as being a building block of society."

Emery encouraged people to respond by asking their elected representatives to take measures of impeachment against judges who have joined the decision.

"Those of us who really do believe that this is a violation of constitutional limits need to stay within the constitution as we address it," he said. "I think it's important to take constitutional action to resolve what the courts have done."

Stephanie Perkins, assistant director of PROMO -- Missouri's statewide organization advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality through legislative action, electoral politics -- called the decision a historic victory.

"Having 13 states plus the District of Columbia with marriage equality is an incredible feat," Perkins said. "Nearly a third of the country lives in a jurisdiction with marriage equality. That's nearly 93 million people."

Perkins said that though the ruling doesn't directly impact Missouri, it adds to the continuing conversation and fight.

"Even though this is a huge victory, we still have a long road ahead in Missouri as we continue to fight for equality," she said. "In the state of Missouri, you can still be fired for being gay, you can be denied housing for being transgender and you can be denied access to basic public accommodations.

"We're still fighting for basic fundamental rights here in Missouri," Perkins said.

A couple of clergy In Nevada also are weighing in on the high court's decision.

Pastor Chad Bailey of Pine Street Baptist Church said the decision, along with many others over the years, has led to the moral decay of society.

"I am reminded of Jesus' words in Luke 23:34, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing,'" Bailey said in a letter addressing the matter. "I pray that Missouri will continue to ban same-sex marriage! "I pray other states will do the same!

Marriage is and should always be between one man and one woman, he wrote. "The church needs to continue to love unconditionally, and most importantly stand on the principles of the Bible!"

Pastor Terry Mosher of Calvary Baptist Church in Nevada agreed with Bailey.

"I think Biblically, the homosexual/gay lifestyle is wrong," Mosher said. "As a country we are in perilous position before our creator. We all draw lines in the sand.

"You can't have a civilized society without rules and lines. I respect those who disagree on this issue."