In next Tuesday's North Carolina election, the good people of the Tar Heel State will vote up or down adding an anti gay marriage amendment to the state's constitution. There is already a law on the books defining marriage as a contract between a man and a woman. Adding this amendment to their constitutions is rather like the man who wears both suspenders and a belt to hold up his pants. (At Right: Gay rally in Raleigh protesting constitutional amendment.)

The reason for the constitutional amendment is that politicians are fearful the US Supreme Court may strike down anti gay marriage laws. Somehow in the nether minds of NC politicians lurks the belief that the Supreme Court can not strike down state laws in conflict with the US Constitution.

The good news is that recent polls show the people of NC are losing interest in adding the anti gay amendment. Why? One reason is that it will affect straight people who live together without benefit of clergy. What irony: straights voting to support a gay issue to protect themselves.

Guess who are the amendment's biggest promoters: the Christian Clergy. Even aging Billy Graham is throwing his spiritual clout in favor of the anti gay marriage amendment. This is unfortunate as in the 1960s Graham was among the few southern clergymen who supported Civil Rights for African Americans. Sadly, Graham and other regional clergymen have not been able to Christianize the bizarre sexual teachings of the Old Testament on sex and slavery.