Ridley's Rule: Adulterers Forfeit Right to Oppose Gay Marriage

Mother Teresa might be allowed to oppose gay marriage.  But those falling short of saintliness have forfeited their right to do so. 

That, in a nutshell, is the logic that "Morning Joe" panelist John Ridley espoused on today's show. His comments came in the course of a dialogue with host Joe Scarborough in the wake of the public statement that Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and his wife made yesterday.

MORNING JOE PANELIST JOHN RIDLEY: What David Vitter could have done, what he should have done, what he did not do was apologize to gays, to homosexuals, to people he vilified through his stances in politics . . . when you try to insert into the Constitution bans on gay marriage . . . if they want to put in the Constitution that gays can't get married, if they really want to talk about sanctity of marriage, then put a ban on adultery.

MSNBC HOST JOE SCARBOROUGH: What you're suggesting is that if somebody commits adultery they can never be against gay marriage . . . I just don't know how you tie the two together and say because David Vitter had sex with a woman outside of his marriage, he must now support same-sex marriage . . . you have failed, fallen people in all lines of business, and for that to somehow equal a default position that we all must now support and embrace gay marriage seems to me to be a stretch.

Joe returned after a break to offer Ridley a partial concession.

SCARBOROUGH: I will agree with John Ridley, and John, it pains me to do this, I do think if this man has put out press releases blaming gay couples for the dissolution of heterosexual marriages, he actually does owe them an apology.

Come to think of it, wasn't Mother Teresa Albanian?  Guess she doesn't get to vote against gay marriage either.

Personal note: for the record, I have libertarian inclinations on a number of issues.  However, I oppose court mandates in such matters based on the "discovery" of constitutional rights that the framers never intended.  My beef with Ridley is not so much his substantive stand as the illogic of claiming that those who stray somehow sacrifice their right to advocate positions in which they believe.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net