US Presidential hopeful Ben Carson thinks jailing Kim Davis was ‘extreme’
Neurosurgeon and US Presidential hopeful Ben Carson has said he thinks it was “a little extreme” to jail Kentucky clerk Kim Davis.
The Rowan County clerk was jailed for five days earlier this year for refusing to issue marriage licences to gay couples.
She ignored a string of court orders instructing her to issue the licences, and was later held in contempt of court.
Speaking to Megyn Kelly on Fox on Tuesday, Carson said: “Well, jail seems a little extreme.”
He went on: “I think what we need to look at is how do we stop this kind of thing from being a continuation. When the Supreme Court made its decision, anyone should have known that this kind of thing was going to occur, and it’s going to continue to escalate.”
“Congress now has a responsibility to step up to the plate and enact legislation that will protect the First Amendment rights of all Americans,” Carson said.
“That’s the reason we have divided government. When one branch does something that tilts the balance, the other branches need to pitch in and correct the situation. This is a serious problem.”
He said that while he opposes same-sex marriage, he thinks neither side of the debate should be able to impose its views on the other, so Congress should have acted.
“And this is where some intellect has to come into place. Our legislators need to sit down and ask themselves how do we make sure that the rights of all Americans are protected,” Carson said. “This takes a little bit of effort.”
Earlier this week, at the Republican Presidential debate, Carson promised to be “perfectly fair” to the gay community if elected President of the US.
He has previously espoused a belief that same-sex marriage is a Marxist plot – as well as claiming that he doesn’t believe gay rights are civil rights.
Further more, Carson also said earlier this year that prisons prove being gay is “absolutely” a choice, and has compared homosexuality to bestiality and paedophilia.
