Could This Happen in Sussex
When a person is elected to public office, the take an oath to uphold the laws and Constitution of the State. Unfortunately, some think they can pick and choose which laws to obey and enforce.
Rose Marie Belforti is a 57-year-old cheese maker, the elected town clerk in this sprawling Finger Lakes farming community and a self-described Bible-believing Christian. She believes that God has condemned homosexuality as a sin, so she does not want to sign same-sex marriage licenses; instead, she has arranged for a deputy to issue all marriage licenses by appointment.
But when a lesbian couple who own a farm near here showed up at the town hall last month, the women said they were unwilling to wait.
Now Ms. Belforti is at the heart of an emerging test case, as national advocacy groups look to Ledyard for an answer to how the state balances a religious freedom claim by a local official against a civil rights claim by a same-sex couple.
So this small town clerk claims that because she believes being gay is a sin, she does not have to do the job she was elected to do. Sounds a lot like our resident homophobic Clerk of the Peace, George Parish, down here in Sussex.
From the Sussex Countian newspaper:
Parish is still not sure how he or the office will respond once civil unions are officially legal in the state, but did say several times, “We will not break the law.” How he intends to handle the requests, however, is a mystery even to him. “It’s something we’ll have to figure out over the coming months,” he said.
I’ll tell you, George, how you will handle this – you will do the job you were elected to do or resign. If you won’t resign, then we will ask that you be removed from office. Take this advice from New York:
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, who made same-sex marriage a priority of his first year in office, has expressed little sympathy for clerks who object to the law. “When you enforce the laws of the state, you don’t get to pick and choose,” he said this summer.
One way the memorable marriage pixie will handle it is to run for another office. State wide office. guesses:)?
I met George and he fits right in down here in Sussex he’s a big JERK like the rest of these inbred folks.
She fulfilled her obligation. The couple’s convenience does not trump her Constitutional rights. They only have a case if they were denied the right under the law. The fact that the person they needed was temporarily unavailable is not a matter for a suit. If they were in a hurry, they could go to another county a lot quicker than filing a suit. In fact, all she asked was for them to make an appointment for a little later. They are just looking for a fight.
The overall issues of this case are interesting, but the facts of the case will resolve the issue without even getting into the constitutional issues.
And it’s definitely a fight worth having.
Office hours should mean something. If I go to the DMV I don’t want to be told – even tho they’re OPEN for business – to make an appointment and come back later.
She ran for the office. If she’s unable, or unwilling, to fulfill her responsibilities she should resign. She is in that position to serve the public – all the public.
Next, she’ll refuse to issue marriage licenses to Muslims.
Someone should remind these right wing assholes to leave their religion at home. Havent they heard of separation of church and state? Havent they heard they took an oath to serve and protect the citizens? How can her personal philosphy affect her position? If she refuses to uphold the law, she must resign so the citizens can elect a person who will uphold the law.
These baggers just dont get it. They think they can pick and choose the laws to obey…but then so can we…but running her the hell out of office. I cant believe that the folks in Rehoboth arent organizing against her right now. They need to make a big stink to show all those baggers, KKKers and Old Testament Bible thumpers…the only law they have to obey the laws of this state and country. Leave your Bibles, Torahs and Korans at home, they have no place in public office.
“Next she’ll refuse to issue marriage licenses to Muslims”, and Mexicans.
Why dont the Liberals design a document asking certain questions of these people before we elect them. Did anyone ask her her views on civil unions before she was elected?
David,
You’re wrong. If a government office is open for business, its workers can’t say “Sorry, we only serve a certain group of people in the morning and another group of people in the afternoon.” The issue is public access.
With Parish, my guess is he’ll have his deputy do the paperwork for gay couples. She’s there all the time, after all. He’ll just dodge it. And he’ll refuse to perform civil union ceremonies, also leaving those up to his deputy.
David, I wish you would stop looking at issues with blinders on. This isn’t a question of whether they eventually got their license, it’s a question of whether they were treated the same as any other heterosexual couple that walked through the door. Are hetero couples required to make an appointment and come back later? Is there a clerk who refuses to fill out licenses for hetero couples?
What if the clerk is opposed to interracial marriages and refuses to issue licenses and tells an IR couple to “come back later” when someone else can help them? What if the clerk doesn’t like blacks? Do you not see a parallel?
That’s what’s really frustrating here, David. You’re an intelligent guy. I don’t agree with your position on gay marriage and homosexuality, but I respect that you state your views. What I can’t understand is how someone who should be able to draw very straightforward comparisons either can’t or refuses to.
Regardless of your personal politics and beliefs, if your job requires you to follow the law, YOU DO IT. You don’t get to pick and choose which laws you follow.
George Parrish has his eye on treasurer.
Closet doesn’t understand the basic simple principle of having to serve the public. I’m sure he would act the same way this town clerk is acting if a gay couple came to him and asked for him to do his job.
Treasurer of what, Phil? The Longneck Homphobes group?
Republican David “She fulfilled her obligation. The couple’s convenience does not trump her Constitutional rights.”
Ok, I will buy that she has constitutional rights. But perhaps you could opine on whether the exercise of one’s constitutional obligations trumps the exercise of one’s constitutional obligations. She swore to uphold the constitution to provide equal access. But by acting as she does is not fulfilling her constitutional obligations. So is there precedence between rights and obligations? If so, do all officers, members, or employees of the government have the same precendence of their rights over their obligations? How about those in the military? When she is on duty performing her assigned responsibilities does that not take precedence over her rights? Isn’t she free to do as she wishes when she is off duty? Do you make a distinction between your obligations on the council versus when you go home? Or is it all the same to you?
MJ: too funny! I live in Long Neck and there are gays and lesbians all over the place. They don’t hide who they are. Surely they wouldnt have voted for this shlub if they knew he was a gayebashing hypocrit.
Has his eye on “Treasurer”! Why not insurance commish he could’nt screw that office up more than it is.
Anon – he also lives in Longneck. I hear he dries his hairpiece outside so it has that “natural pine smell.”
I’m pretty sure anyone paying the least bit of attention to Mr. Parrish’s campaign, knew full well this would be an issue.