Omaha Archdiocese using gay marriage as Internet bait to attack LB586, LGBT workplace antibias bill

It goes like this: first the Archdiocese puts a splashy teaser on its website about its disapproval of evolving CIVIL marriage policies, which it feels must meet Roman Catholic approval:

 

The teaser has a "more" link which sends you to another part of the Archdiocese website with part of the statement by Nebraska's three bishops:

 

Lucas, in professional drag

If you want to see the entire statement, you have to point your browser at "necatholic.org" at which point Archbishop George "Star Wars" Lucas yanks the Christer Carrot to a different website, that of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, at which point you can click on a link to read the complete bishops' statement, but while you're finding the link, you see a different come-on, to kill LB586!, a bill to ensure job protection for LGBTs:

Click on that and the Catholic Mafia gets your email address and puts you on record of opposing a bill regardless of what carve-outs are made to satisfy the clerics! How's that for take-no-prisoners animus, huh? (We wonder what would happen if you changed the message to one of support for LB586, made a screenshot before you sent it, and then asked your state senator if s/he got it. Wouldn't that be fun to try, kids?)

Along the way, you get to read hypothetical horror stories about what would happen to Nebraska if it made gays a protected class like Catholics. (Spoiler: it might become more like that hell-on-earth, Iowa.) Here's a dark scenario:

NEGATIVE PUBLICITY FOR THE ONE TRUE CHURCH? Gee, that sounds terrible. But they didn't say what school or what teacher or what city or state!!!
     Why, it's like the Nebraska Catholic hierarchy doesn't want you to find out more about this terrible injustice it says was visited on its religion.
     Well, that's what Lucifer's tool, Google, the English Pointer of Internet porn, can also be used for, so we did. Here's what we found:

 

     Wow, the court says teach (who taught for 32 years) got screwed over by the Catholic school. And his or her current and former students got almost FIFTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE to say so in a petition.

     One of the teacher's former students, Chris DeNicola, actually ranted for 20 minutes in a jeep (here are the last three) about the whole thing, saying:

It's the administration that made the decision to fire Mr. K. You're fucking disgraceful. You're morons. You're assholes. Teachers should be evaluated, like I said, based on their record as a teacher. If Mr. K was employed there for 30 years, I think he must have been a decent teacher, at least. And like I said, my experience with him was nothing but positive.

Oh look! The Archdiocese is on Twitter (ArchOmaha)
and also using YouTube to sucker people into thinking
it might be self-critical. Hah! Bet you know where
THIS video, is going, don't you?

     The Nebraska Catholic Clergy is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that LGBTs don't get workplace, housing, medical or marriage rights guaranteed where it counts — in law.
     Below is a Catholic priest that we busted on-screen for blatantly lying to the Lincoln City Council in 2012 during a hearing for a proposed city ordinance similar to the statewide law, LB586, that the church is now attacking.
     After Father Kubat's false testimony, Brad Chapin, of PFLAG, got up to tell the council (at 10:08) what it's like trying to stop gay kids screwed up by Catholic religious doctrine from offing themselves.
     On its website, the Nebraska Catholic Conference claims that LB586 would hurt businesses, but does not explain why the measure is supported by the Omaha World-Herald, ConAgra, First National Bank, Greater Omaha Young Professionals both the Lincoln and Omaha Chambers of Commerce, and many other business groups.
     Contact your State Senator today to support LB586 and help balance the Archdiocese's toxic political influence.

Hey married gay couples! Want to simplify your taxes? Leave Nebraska

Pete Ricketts's alleged concern about the burden of government paperwork, like so many other of his other empathetic pronouncements about the vexations of that middle class that he left so long ago, do not apply to gays because he is, of course, a hard-core heterosexual supremacist who seems never to have met an antigay policy that he either didn't like or at least couldn't contentedly live with.
     One specific area of Ricketts' overall lack of concern in respect of Nebraska's 50,000 LGBTs, are the 1,947 words of state income tax instructions in two documents that they must contend with that heterosexuals don't (provided the gay couple married in one of the dozens of non-Nebraska states that value them).
     (We shall charitably forget about how much it cost Nebraska to write and publish those instructions.)
     Take a look at the following (click to enlarge) and remember it, boys and girls, the next time Pete Ricketts smiles at your from your television, blows pandering smoke at you about Nebraska Values, and then asks for your vote.

Defiantly antigay county clerk in Arbor Day hometown being treated with kid gloves

If you think Janene Bennett's bald animus toward gay couples discredits Nebraska City, home of Arbor Day, then you probably don't know that J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day was a notorious racist. In her own way, devout Cafeteria Catholic Bennett is preserving tradition.
     (We accuse Bennett of convenience Christianity because we assume that if she really observed all the biblical marriage traditions and enforced them, she would be in the Otoe County Jail or the penitentiary in Lincoln and not in a position to insultingly stiff-arm gay couples seeking civil marriages in what is presumed to be a government office, not a church.)

NE AG Don Peterson on gay marriage ruling: 'I don't think we can dictate our laws based upon the emotional arguments of a certain class of people'

While the headline quote (6:51 in video) may have been Peterson's most offensive, as it casually dismissed the legal, social and monetary damage directly visited by the state's gay marriage ban on the 50,000 (conservatively reckoned) gay people who call Nebraska home, his most cringe-worthy assertions (at 9:47 about law-unto-themselves county clerks) seem to have been lifted from the Roy Moore Alabama  Cookbook of Jurisprudence & Civil Disobedience, and might even be interpreted as a subtle invitation to Nebraska county clerks to engage in obstructionism, should proceedings in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals not go Peterson's way and gay marriage were to become a reality in Nebraska sooner rather than later:

Well, I think each county clerk has to speak with their county attorney and take counsel. We in the Attorney General's office are not in a position to advise county clerks. They have to rely upon the counsel of their county attorneys. The other thing that's somewhat difficult about it, if you want to get into the weeds... Rule 65 of the federal rules, basically [says] that an injunction applies to those parties identified in the lawsuit and in this particular case, certainly they have not identified all 93 county court clerks, so there's a question of whether or not the court's injunction, ah temporary injunction, would apply to those not identified as clerks.

Nebraska gay marriage ruling brings out the ugly side of Gov. Pete Ricketts

During his campaign for governor, Pete Ricketts was relentlessly positive, smiling constantly through an avalanche of ads that only a scion of the $1.5 billion TD Ameritrade fortune could afford.
     The dirty work — the attack ads — were done by outsiders that Ricketts claimed not to know.
     Today, in a joint press conference with Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, Ricketts' mien matched what many have long suspected is his genuine nature.
     He was tunnel-minded, dismissive and relentlessly on point, by which we mean repetitive, as he had only one point.
     At times he looked just plain angry, presumably at the impertinance of Federal Judge Joseph Bataillon, who dared to sock it to a state which has been denying due process and/or equal protection to its gay couples for fifteen years, under the color of the law resulting from Initiative 416, which in 2000 inserted the following language into Nebraska's Constitution:

Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Nebraska. The uniting of two persons of the same sex in a civil union, domestic partnership, or other similar same-sex relationship shall not be valid or recognized in Nebraska.

     Ricketts' answers to questins about the dubious legality of Nebraska's so-called Defense of Marriage Act all were variations of this pronouncement:

The appropriate way to address this is through the constitutional process and that's the way we addressed this in 2000. We passed a constitutional amendment. It's the law of our state. And that's what we're going to uphold.

     And there was. The "A" word, used by Arrogant Asses the English-speaking world over.
     Ricketts may think that judicial review of laws which attract lawsuits like wet floors is not "appropriate" but judges aren't the only people who think the law he embraces, stinks.
     Ricketts may not think anyone else remembers the disdain for Initiative 416 among many thoughtful people at the time it was passed, but the Internet never forgets.
     Here's part of what the Omaha World-Herald, neither a fan of gay marriage 15 years ago nor now, said about Ricketts' beloved constitutional sop to bias, masquerading as guardianship of The Family.

Tuesday, October 17, 2000
The Problem of the Second Sentence

     ...Initiative 416 , if approved, would amend the Nebraska Constitution to say that only a male - female marriage would be valid, but the Orr - Ramsey statement ignores significant other issues pertaining to the initiative.
     Chief among those issues is what is becoming known as the problem of the second sentence.
     ...Civil unions would not be authorized. Domestic partnerships could not be established.
     ...Lawyers, in a Sunday World - Herald story, discussed a second question posed by the appearance of the initiative. Could the amendment, reflecting the punitive spirit of denying any accommodation to the targeted group, be used in court to attack contracts with which gays and lesbians attempted to secure protection for their relationships? Could an estranged parent barge into probate court, waving the amendment and demanding to break a will in which one partner attempted to make the other partner his heir?
     ...Any society that loses its respect for private contracts is a step closer to tyranny. That's something about which voters, no matter how they feel about homosexuality, ought to think deeply.

     We're not saying that people like Pete Ricketts embrace a small lurch toward tyranny. The state's biggest paper did it for us.

     Actually, it dissed 416 twice, fricasseeing it a few days later, in an op-ed endorsement (or lack thereof) recap:

Whether marriage, as an institution, ought to be opened to some combination other than a man and a woman is a legitimate cultural and, yes, religious concern. However, whether accommodations that have a similar legal effect should be perpetually banned without the opportunity to consider them in any future circumstances is another matter entirely. Opponents say this vastly overreaching proposal is motivated by bigotry. We would like to believe that it isn't true. But we sense from listening that, at least in some cases, it is true. 

 Hey, if the shoe fits, Governor, wear it.

    

Reddit weighs in on the anti-gay marriage Governor of Nebraska and his gay sister

A glum Pete Ricketts at a press conference after Nebraska's ban
on same sex marriage was ruled unconstitutional

CombustiblePanda 37 points 6 hours ago
wow pete rickets really is an asshole

[–]jaysbanker 62 points 5 hours ago
What's amazing is that Ricketts' sister, Laura Ricketts, is a lesbian and is a key supporter of gay marriage.

[–]cysun 39 points 5 hours ago
Wow, that only shows how big of an asshole he is.

[–]liquidpig 15 points 4 hours ago
Either he's captain of the ss douchecanoe or he is siding with the 70% of people who will get him re-elected and is just along on for the ride.

[–]BigSwami 2 points 2 hours ago
The popular vote doesn't matter here. If the federal court does as it has repeatedly already done, it is inevitable. He's just wasting taxpayer money building horseless carriages.

[–]liquidpig 1 point an hour ago
For that particular issue sure, but saying he upholds the traditional definition of marriage will get him re elected.

[–]TeslaIsAdorable 15 points 5 hours ago
That must make Thanksgiving fun...

[–]sprucenoose 2 points 3 hours ago
They could share a table with the Cheney's.

[–]tall_liberal2 6 points 5 hours ago
Sibling rivalry is getting in the way of protecting the rights of all Nebraskans. Nice. No wonder mom likes her best.

Nebraska Catholic bishops not happy that gay families are on track to gain civil marriage protections

Nebraska's Catholic Bishops, James Conley of Lincoln (above, left), Bishop William Dendinger of Grand Island (above, center) and Omaha Archbishop George J. Lucas, aren't happy that gay families in the Cornhusker state are on track to receive civil marriage legal protections and they've issued a joint statement:

We are disappointed that Judge Joseph Bataillon granted an injunction today that presumes to nullify what God has written on human hearts since the beginning of time — that marriage is between a man and a woman, and has as one of its principal purposes the procreation and rearing of children. Marriage was established by God before the state and before the Church, and the vitality of both depends on the fruitful union of husband and wife.

Video: NE gay marriage ruling; dueling post-ruling pressers — Gov./AG vs. ACLU

Maybe if anti-gay marriage GOP Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts keeps repeating the 1999 election results for Nebraska's Defense of Marriage Law, people will forget what polls say in 2015.

Jon Bruning Hitler finds out Nebraska gay marriage ban was overruled

Hitler can't spell Nebraska very well. 

Nebraska Gov. denounces 'activist' gay marriage ruling; his sister, wealthy co-owner of Chicago Cubs really IS a gay activist

Peter and Laura Ricketts

Peter Ricketts, the TD Ameritrade scion and newly-elected Nebraska governor, plans to spend more of your taxes stalling gay marriage.
     If you'd like to find out how much he and his antigay attorney general, Doug Peterson are squandering to delay gay marriage in Nebraska, there's a way to do that.
     Oh, Ricketts' sister, part owner of the Chicago Cubs, unlike the judge Ricketts slammed, really is a gay activist.

“Today, a judge took steps to overturn a constitutional amendment approved by 70% of Nebraskans that defines marriage as between one man and one woman,” said Governor Pete Ricketts.
     The definition of marriage is an issue for the people of Nebraska, and an activist judge should not substitute his personal political preferences for the will of the people. I will continue to work with Attorney General Doug Peterson to uphold Nebraska’s Constitution and the will of the people of our great state.”

Bataillon calls Nebraska AG's anti-gay marriage argument 'irrational' and 'repugnant'

Irrational and repugnant! Oh wait, the judge was only talking about Don Peterson's arguments.

Nebraska 1st District Rep. Brad Ashford reacts to ruling against state's gay marriage ban

Ashford, formerly the Chairman of the Unicameral's Judiciary Committee, represents Omaha in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is also a former Republican.

    “Discrimination against anyone based on their sexual orientation has no place in this country. Courts across the country are demanding equal treatment under the law, and today, Nebraska took a major stand against inequality in this country. This decision does not ask individuals to abandon their principles on the issue, but rather, to accept that this country is overwhelmingly diverse, and we must embrace those who might not hold our same beliefs. The many differences of individuals are what make this a great nation, and today’s decision recognizes that same-sex couples deserve equal rights under the law. I applaud this decision and commit to continue working for equality for all Nebraskans in the future.”
     Congressman Ashford is also a cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that ensures that legally-married, same-sex couples are treated equally under federal law. Currently, the legislation is supported by a bipartisan group of 139 members of Congress in the House of Representatives.

Nebraska's antigay AG, Don Peterson, files notice of appeal within minutes to stop decision overruling state's gay marriage ban

Nebraska Attorney General Don Peterson

Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon, who in 2006 was the first Judge in the U.S. to strike down a gay marriage ban (Nebraska's, but he was overruled by the Eighth U.S. District Court of Appeals), has ruled the state's ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional, but has given the state a week to file an appeal. Attorney General Don Peterson asked him not to make his order immediate, to avoid what he called "chaos" and Bataillon complied.

Robynn Tysver writes in the Omaha World-Herald:

     Today’s decision means there is now a good chance Nebraska will be one of the last states in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed.
     ...The 8th Circuit may fold the Nebraska case into a May 11 hearing on same-sex marriages scheduled to be heard in Omaha. Federal judges in three other states — Missouri, South Dakota and Arkansas — have all ruled their respective gay marriage bans unconstitutional. The 8th Circuit has consolidated those cases into one.
     In the end, it may all comes down to timing: will the 8th Circuit act before the U.S. Supreme Court settles the issue once and for all?

      Nebraska Attorney General Don Peterson has already filed a notice of appeal, even though Bataillon's ruling is minutes-old. Here it is.
     Judge Bataillon's order is here. His injunction is here.

Nebraska's ban on same sex marriage struck down, effective March 9, 8 a.m.

KETV reports that Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon has overruled Nebraska's ban on same sex marriage, effective next Monday:

"all relevant state officials are ordered to treat same-sex couples the same as different sex couples in the context of processing a marriage license or determining the rights, protections, obligations or benefits of marriage."