The Republican Party has long claimed that “states’ rights” mean that states can do as they like according to their own values, regardless of what the federal government wants. Of course, this is something that has just been used for southern states to do horrible things — like, you know, own people. They used the states’ rights argument to justify segregation, to outlaw interracial marriage and abortion, and to basically strip citizens of personal liberty to satisfy the bigots in their citizenry and voting base. Well, comedian Bill Maher of HBO’s Real Time has turned all of that on its head in the Trump era.
During his “New Rules” segment on Friday night’s program, Maher turned it around on the Republicans, pointing out how California’s governor, Jerry Brown, is busily defending California’s liberal way of life in defiance of Trump’s regressive and dangerous administration. Gov. Brown has decided to sign a climate treaty with China, giving a big middle finger to Trump’s foolish decision to pull outta the Paris Accord. Maher also pointed out that California will not move enforce Trump’s racist deportation force through its police departments, and nor would there be any attacks on LGBTQ Americans.
The real kicker came when Maher adopted a country accent and mocked the insanity of the bigotry of Trump voters – only using it to promote progressive values, such as legalized marijuana and lesbian weddings. He even mocked the tiki torches used last month in a horrifically violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left 32-year-old Heather Heyer death and injured many others.
In short, Bill Maher is right. If they can do this states’ rights stuff, so can we.
Featured image via screen capture