In a moment that has been years in the making, Jim DeMint was absolutely destroyed by Rachel Maddow for trying to spread his hate filled anti-same sex marriage propaganda.
Video via Think Progress:
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Transcript:
Jim DeMint: He is denying dignity to the millions of Americans who for moral or religious reasons believe that gay marriage is wrong. As you just said, you’ve got 37 states where the people have decided that they want to protect marriage between a man and a woman, because they know that that’s the environment where children can thrive and succeed. I mean that’s been proven. So it’s not about the desires of adults, it’s really about the best environment for children. We’re talking all about politics, but the reason why governments at the state level at the federal level have recognized marriage between a man and woman is because it is better for our country, and it is better for children.
Rachel Maddow: Justice Kennedy addressed that issue specifically in his ruling. He says that by denying marriage rights to same-sex couples who have kids, you’re humiliating and demeaning those kids. By denying their families equal protection under the law, by the parents who are raising, them and who love them and who make their family. So we can put it in the interests of children, but I think that cuts both ways. And the ruling cuts against that argument. I mean, gay people exist. There’s nothing we can do in public policy can do to make more of us exist or less of us exist. And you guys for a generation have argued that public policy ought to essentially demean gay people as a way of expressing disapproval of the fact that we exist. But you don’t make any less of us exist. You are just arguing for more discrimination. And more discrimination doesn’t make straight people’s lives any better.
Jim DeMint was relying on that old standard Republican refrain, “What about the children?” DeMint was making the same argument that social conservatives have been making for decades that it is bad for kids to be around gay people, because homosexuality is wrong. This argument was dealt with directly by Justice Kennedy in the DOMA decision, but it hasn’t stopped those who have embraced discrimination from trying to advance it. DeMint was basing his claim that heterosexual marriage is better for children on a widely debunked Regnerus paper that was bought and paid for with millions of dollars from anti-gay marriage groups.
Rachel Maddow absolutely went to town on DeMint’s completely bogus claims. She was correct. Real academic research has found that children benefit from stable two parent homes, but it doesn’t matter if the parents are gay or straight. Maddow called out DeMint for wanting to use public policy to discriminate against gay people.
People like DeMint refuse to appear on Maddow’s MSNBC show, so this confrontation was literally years in the making. Maddow has been flatly turned down by most of the right. They won’t come on her show, so Meet The Press provides one of the few chances for her to talk directly to the Jim DeMints of the political world.
Same sex marriage opponents are arguing in favor of legalized federal discrimination. More discrimination doesn’t make straight people’s lives better, but it makes those who are doing the discriminating feel superior.
The belief that homosexuality can be legislated out existence is ancient and forever destined to fail. It isn’t just political momentum that is on the side of same sex marriage advocates. They also hold the moral argument. Maddow was able to obliterate DeMint because discrimination is wrong. Opponents of same sex marriage can cook up all the bogus research that can afford to buy, but at the end of the day the marriage question is all about discrimination.
Rachel Maddow demonstrated the force and power of having both legal and moral truth on her side.
Jim DeMint, and his hate filled talking points, never stood a chance.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
