The Internet was abuzz this week with a story about a woman who works in a city clerk’s office in Kentucky. She was refusing to issue a marriage license to a gay couple.
She gave her right to practice her religion as her reasoning.
While we respect her right to freedom of religion, we don’t agree that she can deny someone else the right to marry when issuing such a license is the law.
We would suggest that she find another line of work where her religious liberties will not impede her ability to do her job in an office that serves the public.
Recall
Our opinion pages this week have several letters about the Home Rule Petition being sought by some Shirley residents. They reflect both sides of the quest for a recall law.
The ire being felt by many in that town is understandable. They have good reason to strongly disagree with not only some of the actions taken in the Town Offices by the selectmen and their administrator, but also the way they were carried out.
But we also agree with the position of selectmen who prefer a more studied approach to adoption of a recall law.
The proposal as written allows the recall process to be triggered without cause. As with many other recall laws in the area, we believe specific actions should trigger a recall, not simple disagreement.
The ability to recall an elected official is an important tool. But crafting a law carefully, and with sufficient public input, is of equal importance.
