Duval, Clay, Baker counties to end courthouse weddings to avoid marrying gays

[Charles Hunter]

CoC will be on the 2016 ballot.

Can the judges use the chapel in the Court House when they perform marriage services?

[Rob68]

It's stuff like this and the Clay Yarborough nonsense that make me genuinely question whether Jacksonville is the right place to raise my daughter.

An absolute embarrassment.

You should question raising your child here..if you want a well rounded modern child..leave now.

[JaxJersey-licious]

So let's flesh out the logic of this refusal to marry gays on another level...

It's my understanding that certain county clerks feel that marriage between same-sex couples totally goes against their faith in God and because of that they would much rather not have those ceremonies now ordered by some evil sin-mongering judge performed in their county courthouses. So their solution to keep themselves in good light with their God and their fellow congregates as to not encourage these types of "unholy" unions is to equally dis-courage those marriages which these same clerks and their fellow parishioners approve of and promote as spiritually pleasing by banning those as well? WTF...Do these so-called God-fearing clerks realize how ultimately unproductive it is for not allowing any marriages because some they object to when they damn well know the vast majority of them over time, after all the same-sex marriage hoopla fades, would be the traditional opposite-sex type they cherish? 

This is just another case of religious sanctimoniousness trumping reason: No one ends up any holier because of this "bold" stance against same-sex couples. Think about it...short of the clerk, in a fit of righteous indignation flagrantly ignoring federal state and county anti-discrimination laws, starts stamping select bible verses or drawing frowney faces on the marriage license of same-sex couples; not allowing an activity that they feel  God looks down upon to the detriment  of an activity they'd think God would celebrate and encourage more of becomes a spirituality push, IMHO.

So cheers, JAX for making national news again for all the wrong reasons. Another lesson to learn from (or not) the perils of not-fully thought out actions intended to serve God turn instead to acts of self-serving.

[pierre]

And the story hit national outlets and makes Jacksonville look bad again.

[thelakelander]

^Unfortunately, I think we all knew deep down inside that anything involving Jacksonville and something like this would hit the national outlets. To the national guys, if Detroit is the poster child for urban decay and crime, we're the poster child for big city backwardness.

[Alex Sifakis]

Must we ALWAYS be doomed to repeat history? The below is from "Deadly Legacy of Swimming Pool Discrimination", Jeff Wiltse.

"When a federal judge ordered Montgomery, West Virginia, to open its municipal pool to black residents in 1948, city officials drained the pool and locked the gates. For fourteen years, the empty pool stood as a conspicuous reminder that racial prejudice was preventing blacks and whites in Montgomery from being able to swim.[1] Birmingham, Alabama, closed all eight of its municipal pools in 1962 after a federal judge issued a desegregation order.[2] Canton, Mississippi, closed its two public swimming pools in 1965 in response to integration efforts by local black residents. For the next 23 years, Canton operated no public pools. It finally re-opened one of the pools in 1988. "It was a long time coming," commented Alderman Jewel Williams. "It was something we had to do and was needed. We had pools, and they were closed. That should never have happened."[3] But it did happen, and it happened in cities throughout the South during the 1950s and 1960s".[4]

[1] Wiltse, Contested Waters, 165.
[2] "Birmingham Keeps Parks Closed, Defying Court," Chicago Defender, March 17, 1962, 2.
[3] "Pool Reopened after 23 Years," Los Angeles Sentinel, July 7, 1988, A2.
[4] "Close 4 Fla. Pools Over Race Issue," Chicago Defender, June 13, 1961, 3; "Close Pool to Avoid Integration," Chicago Defender, July 6, 1961, 19; "Integration Faces Hardest Going in Recreation Public Facilities," Chicago Defender, August 31, 1963, 9; "Jackson Case
Ruling," Chicago Defender, June 17, 1971, 17.

We need to let Fussel, et al know they need to change their position or 1) they wont have a job, and 2) in the future they are going to end up as footnotes in a textbook.

[Rob68]

Must we ALWAYS be doomed to repeat history? The below is from "Deadly Legacy of Swimming Pool Discrimination", Jeff Wiltse.

"When a federal judge ordered Montgomery, West Virginia, to open its municipal pool to black residents in 1948, city officials drained the pool and locked the gates. For fourteen years, the empty pool stood as a conspicuous reminder that racial prejudice was preventing blacks and whites in Montgomery from being able to swim.[1] Birmingham, Alabama, closed all eight of its municipal pools in 1962 after a federal judge issued a desegregation order.[2] Canton, Mississippi, closed its two public swimming pools in 1965 in response to integration efforts by local black residents. For the next 23 years, Canton operated no public pools. It finally re-opened one of the pools in 1988. "It was a long time coming," commented Alderman Jewel Williams. "It was something we had to do and was needed. We had pools, and they were closed. That should never have happened."[3] But it did happen, and it happened in cities throughout the South during the 1950s and 1960s".[4]

[1] Wiltse, Contested Waters, 165.
[2] "Birmingham Keeps Parks Closed, Defying Court," Chicago Defender, March 17, 1962, 2.
[3] "Pool Reopened after 23 Years," Los Angeles Sentinel, July 7, 1988, A2.
[4] "Close 4 Fla. Pools Over Race Issue," Chicago Defender, June 13, 1961, 3; "Close Pool to Avoid Integration," Chicago Defender, July 6, 1961, 19; "Integration Faces Hardest Going in Recreation Public Facilities," Chicago Defender, August 31, 1963, 9; "Jackson Case
Ruling," Chicago Defender, June 17, 1971, 17.

We need to let Fussel, et al know they need to change their position or 1) they wont have a job, and 2) in the future they are going to end up as footnotes in a textbook.

yes..in jax you are doomed..welcome to the racist homophobic center of America..leave while you can.

[Buforddawg]

It's stuff like this and the Clay Yarborough nonsense that make me genuinely question whether Jacksonville is the right place to raise my daughter.

An absolute embarrassment.

You should question raising your child here..if you want a well rounded modern child..leave now.

I would not be surprised if Clay called his buddy Ronnie up on the phone to suggest that he halt weddings performed by his office.  I'm not saying he did, I'm just saying I would not be surprised if he did.

[Jumpinjack]

T-U today reports that the wedding "arbor space" at the courthouse will be dismantled and used as a waiting room.

So Fussell's inspiration for mass Valentine's Day weddings have been destroyed.  No more donated cupcakes or free photos.

http://news.wjct.org/post/local-couples-tie-knot-jax-courthouse-mass-marriage
Fussell explained why he was inspired to start the tradition.
"This beautiful building and the backdrop of this along with the staff up here thought it would be a really neat thing to do so they put it together," he said.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds attended a reception that included cupcakes donated by The Cake Shop of San Jose, and free wedding photos.

[brainstormer]

I view courthouse weddings as a service the city provides just like any other city service we pay for with our taxes. City services generally enhance the quality of life for ALL citizens of Jacksonville. I am deeply concerned when religion becomes the foundation of reason for providing or not providing city services. A city office such as the clerk of courts that is so blatantly Christian obviously does not represent a diverse city.

This is the second instance in a month where Christianity has been used as a bully pulpit in Jacksonville. Yet, all we hear about from Christians is how persecuted they are in America. Sounds to me like they kind of deserve the negative labels they are given.

[Buforddawg]

Can the County Clerk be removed by a recall?  Not that it would work, just curious. 

[pierre]

I view courthouse weddings as a service the city provides just like any other city service we pay for with our taxes. City services generally enhance the quality of life for ALL citizens of Jacksonville. I am deeply concerned when religion becomes the foundation of reason for providing or not providing city services. A city office such as the clerk of courts that is so blatantly Christian obviously does not represent a diverse city.

This is the second instance in a month where Christianity has been used as a bully pulpit in Jacksonville. Yet, all we hear about from Christians is how persecuted they are in America. Sounds to me like they kind of deserve the negative labels they are given.

Events like those make it embarrassing to be a native of this city.

[coredumped]

While their reason for ending courthouse weddings is small minded and stupid, there is one good thing to come out of this-less government doing things. They should have never been in this business to begin with.
Maybe since they're doing less, we can save some money and lay some people off.

[gypsie2009]

  As a taxpayer I demand my money back! Fussel and his cronies must go. If personal beliefs interfere with the ability to do a job then find a different job. I see no differences between this type of thinking and Sharia Law.

[brainstormer]

coredumped has a valid financial point for a city that has budget issues. In 2013, the newspaper reported that there were 1,911 marriages at the courthouse. At $30 a marriage that is $57,330 in lost revenue for the clerk of courts office. That is the salary/benefits of one clerk. So will Fussell be asking for additional money for his office or will he be letting one clerk go? If he can easily absorb the lost revenue, then obviously the office could stand to do some budget trimming.