Hailed as a hero, condemned as a bigot: Prison release of Kim Davis shows America’s insane partisanship
SHE’S been compared to Rosa Parks and Abraham Lincoln. She’s a hero to some and hated by so many others. This is the woman dividing America.
SHE’S been compared to Rosa Parks and Abraham Lincoln by one side and lambasted as a hateful bigot by the other.
Kim Davis will be hailed as either valiant defender of civil rights or a truculent government worker not fit for her job.
The 57-year-old was released from jail in the US overnight to staggering fanfare. As she walked out of the Carter County Detention Center in Kentucky after spending five days imprisoned, Ms Davis was met by a large and adulating crowd.
One sign held high above the gathering read; “Kim Davis for president”.
The Kentucky social services clerk was jailed on contempt charges for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. That, and only that, is the reason for her celebrity.
As they say, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter and her defiance has been celebrated with fervour by the country’s religious right and mercilessly mocked and condemned by the left.
Ms Davis walked free after the federal judge who ordered her to be locked up lifted a contempt order against her, saying he was satisfied that her deputies were fulfilling their obligation to grant licenses to same-sex couples in her absence.
“I just want to give God the glory. His people have rallied, and you are strong,” she told the crowd. “Keep on pressing,” she added.
A number of conservative politicians have rushed to show their support for Ms Davis, including presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee. Mr Huckabee was on stage with Ms Davis at the rally and praised the 49-year-old. “She has shown more courage than any politician I know. She not only said something, she was willing to put her life at risk,” he said. “If somebody has to go to jail, I’m willing to go in her place. I believe that.”
Her supporters have framed the issue as one about religious freedom which was reiterated by the former Governor of Arkansas who characterised her ordeal as “the criminalisation of Christianity” in America.
Mr Huckabee also compared her actions to that of Abraham Lincoln because he disregarded an 1857 decision that declared black people weren’t fully human. His praise echoed that of other conservatives who have likened Miss Davis to civil rights hero Rosa Parks. A laughable comparison by most people’s standards but none the less, The Washington Postfelt the need to highlight how grossly misguided it is.
Gay couples who were denied by Kim Davis such as Jesse Cruz and his partner Robbie Blankenship have now had the chance get their marriage license approved.
The pair were turned away empty-handed last week from the Rowan County Courthouse but returned and had their photo snapped sharing a triumphant kiss with marriage license in hand.
A photo tweeted by Mr Huckabee with the hashtag #I’mWithKim was quickly co-opted by critics who posted spoof pictures of the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kim Jong Un with the same hashtag.
Meanwhile countless others have taken to social media to express their opinion on the woman who they view as America’s latest villain.
It sickens me that some people see Kim Davis as Rosa Parks and not the bus driver.
— Matt Fowler (@TheMattFowler) September 8, 2015Why are they comparing Kim Davis to MLK?
— Carlos. (@closfaz) September 9, 2015kind of weird how bigots are acting like kim davis won? like...she got sent to jail and her office is granting gay couples licenses
— Cohen is a ghost (@skullmandible) September 9, 2015Kim Davis is frustrating the same way Real Housewives reunions are frustrating. You crave that "Im a monster" realization thatll never come.
— chris kelly (@imchriskelly) September 8, 2015#KimDavis is the bigots' Mandela.
— Dan Ilic (@danilic) September 8, 2015Kim Davis enters the stage to Eye of the Tiger. #nailedit
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 8, 2015kim davis scares me & the fact that she has such a huge number of followers (including presidential candidates) is even scarier. #KimDavis
— tommy (@t_voltron) September 9, 2015
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