Mike Rawlings
The Dallas Morning News published this editorial today praising Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings for not signing a pledge in support of same-sex marriage last week:
“A city’s elected officials must take the lead on some controversial matters for the good of their communities,” the newspaper wrote. “But there are other hot-button issues that are not fundamental to a city’s operation, and a city is better served staying out of them. … Good streets. Economic development. Code enforcement. Those are the kinds of basics Dallas must muster. Marriage laws, as important as they are, don’t belong on that list. States set marriage laws, and, to a lesser extent, Washington has a voice in them. Cities do not.”
There are several major problems with the DMN’s editorial, but the biggest one is that their whole premise is fundamentally flawed: By not signing the pledge, Rawlings has hardly managed to side-step a hot-button issue. If that were the case, why would the daily newspaper feel compelled to write a big fancy editorial about it? On the contrary, by refusing to sign the pledge, Rawlings has accomplished just the opposite by thrusting himself right smack into the middle of a hornet’s nest.
If Rawlings had quietly signed the pledge, it’s highly doubtful we would still be talking about it a week later. He would merely have been doing the same thing as the mayors of every city in the U.S. that’s larger than Dallas. He also would have been taking the same position as a majority of Americans and undoubtedly a majority of Dallas voters, who have elected and re-elected a lesbian sheriff and almost elected a gay mayor. Perhaps most importantly, if Rawlings had signed the pledge, it would have been consistent with his own position on the issue.
That’s right, as the Morning News notes in today’s editorial but failed to report in a news story last week, Rawlings supports same-sex marriage. And guess what, no one seems to give a damn about the fact that he does. The only reason anyone cares is because he refuses to sign a pledge saying he’ll stand up for his stated beliefs and for the LGBT community.
Anyone asking Mike’s fellow Dallas City Council Members if they “officially” or “personally” support marriage equality for all? We know Mike’s “official” stance supports discrimination! It wasn’t that long ago that the Dallas power structure “officially” discriminated against its own citizens and visitors of African descent at the State Fair of Texas.
It was left to an NAACP chapter in faraway Brownwood to sue and force final desegregation of the midway and eating establishments.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-09-09/news/laff-in-the-dark/
I know several Council Members have been contacted.
He would merely have been doing the same thing as the mayors of every city in the U.S. that’s larger than Dallas.
Your way or the highway John, right? Meep meep!
Just in case you didn’t know Mike served on the Board for the Jesuit (Catholic) College Preparatory School. He is legislating morals based on his private personal beliefs instead of honoring his oath of office to protect our Constitutional Republic and the Legitimate Document he swore to uphold.
If you pay attention to all the closings of the public schools in Dallas his priorities for supporting Legislative Morality based on Catholic Views is clear. Watch, as these public schools close (where the children would be protected by Freedom of Religion and Separation of Church and State) though intentional financial crippling of the DISD system (Fraud Anyone?). Of Course the Private Religious Schools will be proposed as the answer (With City Financial Backing in some form hardly detectable to the public) so as to look like the “good guy” that provided a safe (yeah right) clean (because they have janitorial slaves) solution. These schools under the misunderstood guise of Freedom of Religion will then become breeding groups for hate and bigotry against its own students and the community abroad leaving no legal recourse or protection. Do we want to see Child Suicide Rates Rise? The DMN is obviously in league and isn’t it interesting that DMN location in Plano (3900 W Plano Pky, Plano, TX75075) is located in the middle of the following Catholic Schools: Prince of Peace Catholic School, All Saints Catholic School, Ark Preschool, John Paul II High School! WTF. Mr. McKenzie the columnist spearheaded the launch of Texas Faith, Jim Mitchell/Editorial Writer graduated from Loyola University –Catholic, Melody Townsel/Guest Blogger has DISD 5th Grader, active PTA member with her own PR firm and many many more. Catholics can lie to our face then receive a free pass for their sin from the foreign Government of The Vatican – Their leader! What as American’s do we think about being promised Virgins for killing Americans? Is this not the same type of HOME GROWN DOMESTIC TERROR we are trying to prevent? Interestingly enough AA (alcoholics anonymous) is stifling a large majority of our susceptible GLBTQ brothers and sisters that are trying to be from addiction by brain washing them to believe they cannot come together to discuss politics: THE TENTH TRADITION: “Alcoholics Anonymous has not opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.”
I would like it to be known that the Addictions and Social problems of these individuals are an “alleged” result of the drugs and alcohol provided to them by Agents of The Catholic Government! By the way the Baptist Congregations of Texas have relinquished their religious autonomy to this Foreign Government as well. Take These Government Officials to task make them honor their oath of office to preserve LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! It’s time to turn the tide of our misfortune.
The Foreign Government of the Vatican and its extrajudicial supporters are SOLEY responsible for the dissemination of False Propaganda against LGBTQ American Individuals which has led to suicide time and time again:
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY -Dobson is among the Christian conservative leaders who met with and advised former President George W. Bush
(*Abiding Truth Ministries
Springfield, Mass.)
*American Family Association
*Americans for Truth About Homosexuality
*American Vision
(*Chalcedon Foundation
Vallecito, Calif.)
(Christian Anti-Defamation Commission
Vista, Calif.)
(Coral Ridge Ministries
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
(*Dove World Outreach Center
Gainesville, Fla.)
(*Faithful Word Baptist Church
Tempe, Ariz.)
(*Family Research Council aka Focus on the Family
Washington, D.C.)
(*Family Research Institute aka Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs, Colo.)
(*Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment
Downers Grove, Ill.)
(*Illinois Family Institute
Carol Stream, Ill.)
(Liberty Counsel
Orlando, Fla.)
*MassResistance
National Organization for Marriage
Princeton, N.J.
*Traditional Values Coalition
Our Governments Job Description: “WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” -Honor your Oaths of Office adhere to OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, stop foreign intervention, or Gracefully Concede that you cannot execute the duties of your office because of your personal religious beliefs! AMERICA IS NOT A MOB RULE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT the rights of the majority have no more or less validatiy than the rights of the minority. This country is a Constitutional Republic and NOT A THEOCRATIC DEMOCRACY for this very reason. YES I AM RIGHTEOUSLY ANGERED as everyone else should be too! Why do you think Columbine happened, misdirected righteous anger?
“Wishing doesn’t make it so” should apply here: Texas mayors are indeed influential for whom they know, but otherwise their powers are limited to the cities they oversee, as was stated in the article. Marriage laws are our state government’s call. This pledge smacks of being a feel-good move and not real law. I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but the signatures we really want aren’t to be had at this level. Let’s stick with Plan A.
Until ACLU intervention just last year, the Dallas Morning News refused to accept same sex marriage announcements so this editorial is no surprise. It’s sad the Mayor and the Dallas Morning News are on the wrong side of history.
The DMN continues to support second-class status for the hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian citizens of North Texas. Is this any surprise? They have had to be dragged, threatened, and begged to even recognize that we exist. Screw the Dallas Morning News. Long and hard.