Here in North Carolina, sadly, we have a fight brewing. On the upcoming ballot is a constitutional amendment that would make gay marriage and all forms of civil unions unconstitutional.
I happen to be a big “states rights” kinda guy so I don’t have as much a problem with this initiative being on the ballot as I do that there are that many people who want it on the ballot. Marriage, from the perspective of the state, is nothing more than a legally binding contract between two consenting and unrelated adults. Nothing more and nothing less.
As such, Liberty dictates that any two people should be entitled to enter into this contract and experience equal treatment under the law.
Happily, several large and prominent individuals are coming out in opposition to this amendment:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of North Carolina’s most prominent business leaders has criticized the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage by comparing it to Jim Crow laws.
The Charlotte Observer reports that Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers made the remarks Friday at a gathering of business executives.
Rogers says if the amendment is approved, it would hinder the ability of North Carolina businesses to attract employees and customers from around the globe.
A Fortune 500 company with over $62 billion in assets, Duke currently serves roughly 4 million customers. The company offers domestic partnership benefits to its employees, who would not be affected by the amendment.
Not only does Mr. Rogers make the case that this is an affront to individual liberty, it would negatively impact the ability to recruit highly skilled gay individuals to the state. I agree with him on both counts.
Further, I must point out that Duke Energy, an evil polluting mix of ugly, mean profiteers, offers benefits to domestic partners. Evil bastards!