密歇根新闻广播 基于信仰的种族隔离学校

 

Well, let's start out today by getting in the old Time Machine and going back to early May 1954. That was just before the U.S. Supreme¹ Court outlawed² segregation³ in public schools.

Let's suppose the Michigan Legislature saw this coming, and so rammed⁴ through a bill saying that no matter what the Supreme Court did, Michigan would still provide funding for segregated⁵ schools, especially, faith-based segregated schools.

What do you suppose would have happened?

Well, the courts would have ruled Michigan's law unconstitutional. Unconstitutional on two grounds; it's improper⁶ to use tax dollars to aid an establishment of religion, and because no state law can contradict a federal law or ruling.

I think I learned that principle in high school, but, incredibly, most members of the state legislature seem to have been sick that week.

Yesterday, they sent bills to the governor that would allow faith-based adoption⁷ agencies to deny applicants⁸ to whom they have a religious objection and still receive state aid. The governor isn't saying whether he will sign them.

In a way, I don't blame him. Looked at it one way, he ought to veto these bills immediately; they are plainly designed to aid an establishment of religion.

But it would also be prudent⁹ to wait till we see how the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage itself. If the justices do rule that same-sex couples have a right to marry, no agency receiving state funds should have the right to discriminate¹⁰ against them, period.

Forty-eight years ago today, interracial marriage was illegal in fifteen Southern and border states. People actually were arrested for marrying someone of a different color. The next day, the Supreme Court said all those laws were unconstitutional.

We don't yet know how the high court will rule on same-sex marriage, or what the scope of that ruling will be. We do know they will rule before the end of this month. All of which makes passing laws right now that might be affected¹¹ by that ruling sort of asinine¹².

You might wonder why our lawmakers aren't spending their time and energy doing something useful, like crafting a responsible solution for the roads. The answer seems to be that they want to please the religious right, and that Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof is strongly supportive of faith-based adoptions¹³, since he is the result of one.

Well, one voice that ought to be heard in this debate is that of the doctors who see young children.

The state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics urged the governor to veto these bills, saying they were not only unconstitutional, but bad because, they said, "we should not place limitations on loving families that seek to adopt such children."

What evidence I have seen indicates that, if anything, same-sex couples make better parents than heterosexual ones. For one thing, you really have to work hard at getting children if you are in that situation; it is pretty hard to have them by accident.

In any event, adoption agencies that put any religious restrictions¹⁴ on who they serve shouldn't be receiving one cent of state or federal money. There's something called the First Amendment¹⁵ that should have made that pretty clear.

Jack¹⁶ Lessenberry is Michigan Radio's political analyst¹⁷. Views expressed in his essays are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

3 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

4 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。

6 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

7 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

8 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

9 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

10 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 asinine   

adj.愚蠢的

参考例句：

• It is an asinine discussion.那是个愚蠢透顶的讨论。
• I must have been insane to listen to your asinine gibberish!我真是昏了头居然听信了你的胡说八道！

13 adoptions   

n.采用，收养( adoption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Adoption agencies are always so open to alternative family adoptions. 领养中介机构永远都对领养家庭敞开。 来自电影对白
• The number of adoptions has grown in the past year. 去年，收养子女的数字增加了。 来自互联网

14 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

15 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

16 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

17 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。