As William Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice, “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
Michigan Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema is a perfect example of what Shakespeare was writing about. The GOP spokesman uses scripture and his stance with the religious right to push regressive policies.
Dave Agema likes to say things like, “it’s a biblical issue” or “This is the Devil’s way…” when talking about his disdain and discriminatory views toward LGBT families.
And though he doesn’t use the same language, Gov. Snyder agrees. However, instead of citing the Bible, Gov. Snyder prefers the all-powerful spreadsheet.
Take for example his renewed push to ban public employers from offering domestic partner benefits. You won’t see Snyder thumping on a Bible or ranting about the devil, instead you’ll hear him claiming it’s an “effort to reduce costs and to address the fiscal insecurity of local governments.”
Agema is a firebrand right-winger who spews hate and intolerance with gusto — and is proud of it. Snyder on the other hand — a self-proclaimed “nerd” — elects to use the guise of fiscal responsibility to advocate for discriminatory policies.
Snyder’s claim that it makes fiscal sense to discriminate against the LGBT community is utter nonsense — as the state’s Department of Civil Rights has demonstrated. It’s nothing but a poorly veiled attempt to deny equal rights to a minority group in Michigan.
What’s the moral of the story? The devil can cite scripture — or spreadsheets — for his purpose.