Full Faith and Credit being restored – not a joke
Courtesy of Alphecca, we have news of Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns introducing a national concealed carry reciprocity bill. That such a bill is necessary in this day and age is a sad commentary on people’s ignorance of the Constitution, but still, it’s a step in the right direction. Here’s Stearns’ take on the bill.
The sad fact, however, is that this bill is going nowhere, quickly. Apparently such bills are routinely introduced and pigeonholed in committee, to the effect that Congress piddles, twiddles, and resolves, but does nothing. But Rep. Stearns is doing the right thing by at least introducing the bill. You never pass the bills you don’t introduce, after all.
Now, some will say that the government should force states to guarantee reciprocity for marriage licenses. True, according to the letter of the law, they should. However, while Virginia may be required to recognize a gay couple’s marriage certificate from Massachusetts, they are under no obligation to issue their own to gay couples within the Commonwealth. Personally, I think no state should issue a marriage license – marriage is (or at least should be) a permanent relationship between a man and a woman, with no input from the state. After all, the state didn’t create the institution, God did. If anyone should be in the business of issuing marriage licenses, it should be the churches.
But that’s an issue for another day.