The trendsetter

Regardless of how you feel about the Kentucky county clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses to same- sex couples, you have to admit that she's a trendsetter.

In Michigan, a Muslim man who heads a local license office for the state transportation department is now refusing to issue driver's licenses to women. Interestingly, as a result, traffic accidents in the area have dropped significantly.

In upstate New York, a man of Jewish faith who is a chef for the state department of corrections at a maximum-security prison is refusing to serve pork to the inmates. Even though one inmate serving life without parole for smoking in public threatened to sue, it should be noted that the bad cholesterol level for all inmates has dropped 23 percent.

In Mississippi, a Christian judge is refusing to grant divorces; however, since so few couples get married anymore, his refusal has only affected two people, a Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Barker, who got into a fight on their 50th wedding anniversary over Mr. Barker's fraternizing with a neighbor lady.

Also, regarding the Jewish chef in upstate New York, he's not only refusing to serve pork, he's also refusing to serve anything other than fruit and vegetables to inmates who are obese. Asked to comment, he said, "The Bible is against gluttony and so am I." (We can only hope the county clerk in Kentucky doesn't end up in his prison.)

Gary L. Gaines, Cape Girardeau