Friday, February 14, 2014

#KY #KYGA14: Condemnation of Kentucky's federal delegates responses to Bourke v. Beshear

BY: K. Joshua Koch

NOTE: This was originally part of a press release and moved here as opinion and protected by Section 1 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky as non-slanderous free speech; blogs are personal views or opinions and not journalistic news sites.

I condemn the responses of Secretary of State Grimes, Candidate Bevin, and Senator McConnell's comments covered in a recent edition of the Courier Journal.

Secretary Grimes has no right to claim an opinion which she will not support in practice. It is not sufficient for an elected official to allow these injustices to persist as Governor Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway, allies in her own party, defend these practices in federal court, and then use her position as a bully pulpit to chastise individuals seeking redress of grievance.

Candidate Bevin cheapens the issue when he uses it to score petty political points against a party rival. This is a case of rights being denied to a significant segment of Kentucky's citizens, not something worthy of such flippant treatment.

Senator McConnell's statement openly defies the Kentucky Constitution's Bill of Rights, claiming a shield of protection behind the "legislative process." Rights are recognized by legislation, not granted by the state or nation. They are inherent to the individual, whether the legislative process recognizes that or not.

---> Posted by a volunteer Community Blogger of Kentucky Equality Federation. This is the official blog of Kentucky Equality Federation. Posts contained in this blog may not be the official position of Kentucky Equality Federation, its volunteer officers, directors, management, supported organizations, allies or coalitions, but rather the personal opinions or views of the volunteer Community Bloggers. The opinions or views expressed in the blog are protected by Section 1 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky as non-slanderous free speech; blogs are personal views or opinions and not journalistic news sites.