When you hear politicians speak of “family values”, remember what they’re trying to hide in that phrase:

Almost 52 years ago Gov. George Wallace made his infamous stand in the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama to block two black students from registering for classes.

It was really all for show. Wallace knew he had no authority to stop the students. The federal courts had ruled that the time had come to integrate UA and to back up that order President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard to make sure the law was enforced and the peace maintained.

Still Wallace continued. He got his moment. Cameras captured it for front pages across the nation. TV broadcast it around the world painting Alabama as an intolerant place.

It is still an image we fight.

Hard words, indeed, from Charles J. Dean, political reporter for Alabama Media Group.

For many, we need not say more; for others, though, it should be enough to note that Christians supremacist Roy Moore is up to his regular, hateful antics.

Kelsey Stein of The Birmingham News brings the explanation:

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore late Sunday ordered all probate judges and employees in Alabama to follow existing state law and not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples or recognize same-sex marriages.

Couples across the state are preparing to wed Monday morning, when a stay on same-sex marriages is set to be lifted.

On Jan. 23, U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. “Ginny” Granade ruled the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and recognition of same-sex marriages entered in other states was unconstitutional. She issued a stay, putting her ruling on hold until Feb. 9.

Since then, Moore has asserted several times probate judges who issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples would be doing so in defiance of state law.

For those who have managed to make it through their lives without hearing this infamous name, it should suffice to simply note that Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has already been booted from his bench once for his refusal to uphold his oath of office; the people of Alabama then re-elected him to the job he had just been fired from for cause.

Why would they do this? It seems strange to suggest that a state so badly wants that sort of bigotry on the bench, but such are Alabama family values.

Nice values, Alabama.

No, seriously, you do realize this is an example of why so many people consider “The South” a bad joke?

It’s like the old Robin Williams joke about the platypus, with God smoking a joint and telling Darwin, “Fuck you!” Then again, science can generally explain the platypus. Not so for Alabama.

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Dean, Charles J. “Roy Moore standing in the courthouse door: Where have we seen this before?” AL.com. 9 February 2015.

Stein, Kelsey. “Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore orders judges not to issue same-sex marriage licenses”. AL.com. 8 February 2015.