By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
AUSTIN – Last month the Texas Supreme Court updated its ethics rules allowing for Texas judges to use their conscience.
In this case it was their conscience allowing them the right to refuse same-sex weddings.
Instead of looking at this as a loss for same-sex marriages look at it as a winning lightbulb moment regarding the realization no one should be given the ability to legislate morality.
Not everyone agrees on everything.
Allowing one judge to say no while allowing another judge to say yes is the first step back to freedom in this state and country.
The Texas Supreme Court made this decision unanimously.
“It is not a violation of these canons for a judge to publicly refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief,” the comment reads.
Jack County Judge Brian Umphress sued in 2020 because judges were being disciplined for refusing same-sex weddings. He said this was a violation of judges’ rights under the 1st Amendment.
True, it will also be true on the other side if the idea of legislating morality ever forces a judge not to be able to officiate same-sex marriages.
If this is a religious issue, and it is for some, remember not everyone adheres to your religion.
And remember the Bible preaches against casting judgement. Look at Matthew 7 where it reads “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
Let us not bring religion into this though, because I am 100% not religious. And maybe you are not either, which goes back to “conscience being your guide.”
Let us look at prayer in school. I believe schools should allow prayer. Here is a wild thought, instead of taking rights away, how about everyone has rights based on conscience? If you do not want to pray in a classroom, leave the classroom. Why take prayer away from the 25 people who want to pray because one person has a problem with it. With respect allow that person to leave the room and normalize allowing conscience to be one’s guide with no judgement.
You also cannot in good conscience say pro-life if you turn around and shut a blind eye to genocide or child trafficking. You cannot pick and choose what child should live, what human should be treated with respect, and what income level should be flushed out of the “American dream.”
A good leader will use his conscience with compassion allowing for laws to benefit everyone, not just their bank account.
Consider Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux. I believe Comeaux acted on his conscience when he chose not to buy into the ICE task force.
Not every Dallas resident might agree, but you better swallow your pride and consider “First they come for them and then they come for you.”
Comeaux refused a $25 million grant from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to partner on the federal 287 (g) program. That money would have allowed for the training of Dallas police officers to enforce federal immigration laws. In short, deputizing the local officers to screen immigration status and issue detainers.
Comeaux said the Dallas Police Department’s priority remains “responding to 911 calls and tackling violent crime.”
Common sense shows partnering with ICE would take those priorities away and make the DPD even more inaccessible to residents. It already takes a Dallas police officer over an hour to get to some calls as reported by FOX News in September.
Yes, six Dallas City Council members and Mayor Eric Johnson were big mad over Comeaux following his conscience.
Johnson pointed out Dallas PD is 576 officers short and he apparently saw the money as a gift to increase department personnel.
He knows better since you do not just “hire a cop.” They must be trained, have a high school degree with three years’ work experience, pass a rigorous screening process that includes physical, psychological, and background checks, and that does not happen overnight. Kudos to acting with a conscience even if it shatters your personal illusion of reality.
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
