Sweet Home Alabama?

In the mid 1970's, iconic Southern Rock Band Lynyrd Skynyrd burned up the charts with their hits 'Free Bird' and 'Sweet Home Alabama'  extolling the virtues of 'the free spirit' and their home state of Alabama.  Well today, Alabama just got a little sweeter for its LGBT citizens as it becomes the 37th state where Marriage Equality is the law of the land.  This is despite the best efforts of that neanderthal reprobate who sits as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, Roy Moore.  Leave it to him to throw a sour note into the harmony of love in action.  

You may remember Moore who several years ago was thrown out of office for trying to defy a Federal Court Order to remove a Granite Display of the Ten Commandments from the Courthouse lawn.  Over the weekend Moore issued an order to the probate judges of Alabama ordering them to refuse to issue or recognize any marriage licenses for any same sex couple no matter the issuing authority.  This hearkens back to the early days of school desegregation with Alabama Governor George Wallace standing in the school house doors to block the admission of Black students.  This was before surrendering to National Guard Troops rather than being drug down the steps in disgrace.  

What Moore has essentially done is recreate the same Constitutional Crises that Governor Wallace did before him.  It did not work then and it will not work now.  Individual states and all the entities within cannot disregard a Federal Court Order legally given in which they have jurisdiction.  Yes, states have rights, but so do the feds and in the case of Court Orders, feds trumps states.  I would hate to have think President Obama would have to call out the National Guard so two Gay people can get married 'down home', but like President Johnson did with Governor Wallace, it falls within his prerogative to do so if Moore wants push to come to shove.  It should not take troops with pointed guns so that two people can avow their love for one another and pledge there life long troth together.  But such is the nature of fear and homophobia.  

It falls to us then to continue the push for equality, but be magnanimous in victory.  Live, Love, become families, and share the beauty of all that is love and family with those around you.  Educate your friends, family and the public.  Show them they  have nothing to fear, just like the folks in the other 36 states with Marriage Equality.  It is harder to hate someone you know that a nameless faceless monster which is a figment of an over fertile imagination.  That is what has won the battle so far, and what will ultimately win the battle everywhere.  That and the fact that the neanderthals are dying out and their replacements are almost whole heartedly in the Equality Courtyard.  That way, one day it will be 'Sweet Home 'America', not just 'Sweet Home Alabama'. 

** Update via the Huffington Post Gay Voices **

"The U.S. Supreme Court refused to halt same-sex marriages in Alabama, paving the way for the first gay couples to marry in the state on Monday.

In January, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange had asked a judge to put a stay on the ruling that overturned the state's ban on gay marriage. Roy Moore, chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, sent an order to state probate judges Sunday night telling them not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, according to the AP.

The Supreme Court justices ruled 7-2 Monday morning that same-sex weddings could start in Alabama, making it the 37th state where gay marriage is allowed.
 

According to Equality Alabama, Dee and Laura Bush were the first couple to apply for a marriage license in Birmingham, the state's largest city.  (Photos here)"

** </ Update>  **

Your Monday with Mozart features last summer's Mozart Celebration Concert by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  The performers from the Chamber Music Society are Soyeon Kate Lee on Piano, Benjamin Beilman and Ani Kavafian on Violin, Lily Francis and Paul Neubauer on Viola, Timothy Eddy on Cello and radovan Vlatkovic on Horn.  More Mozart can be heard on my tumblr with Hilary Hahn's performance of Mozart's Third  Violin Concerto in a Papal Concert with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel. 

If,  after checking out your Monday's Undies in the post below, you need additional abs-so-fab inspiration, look no further than Stark, Your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for kick starting your week here at Nichevo, see you again tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!