Inez D. Barron

Inez D. Barron

Several of my colleagues referenced the civil rights struggle as they debated so passionately on this bill, and, when I think about that struggle I think about the systemic, systematic kidnappings of Africans from Africa, and I think of the wholesale murders and other atrocities heaped on African=Americans, I think about the decades of Jim Crow and the centuries of chattel slavery, and, yes, I acknowledge that the gay community has been subjected to all kinds of atrocities as well. However for me marriage is between a man and a woman. But I do want to say that I hear the passion of all of my colleagues as they presented their points of view and I wanted to say one of my colleagues used the phrase as they were talking tonight “the black area, the white area, and the gray area.” And I would venture to say, when he made those terms, those color terms, most people probably associated “black” with the wrong or the bad area, the “white” with the good or the correct area. And what I want to say to you is yes, the law will go forth, because I can see my colleagues have cast their vote in that degree. But i would say to you that yes, we have Barack Obama as our president, but racism still exists. And I want to say to you as this law goes forth, and as you encounter those resistances to make it right, I will be there to support you.