Iowa Representative Steve King, a
Republican, on Thursday suggested that a Supreme Court ruling
striking down state bans on gay marriage could lead to civil war.
The nation's highest court heard
arguments in a case challenging bans in Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and
Kentucky on April 28. A ruling, which could lead to nationwide
marriage equality, is expected in the next week.
Speaking to social conservatives
gathered this week at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to
Majority conference, King warned that a ruling that doesn't uphold
the bans could lead to civil unrest, much like the high court's 1857
Dred Scott decision that upheld slavery.
“Well, that turned into a civil war –
600,000 people killed to put an end to slavery – to sort that mess
out,” King
said.
He went on to compare the pending
decision to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that found women have a
right to abortion.
“Fast forward to Roe v. Wade,
1973, and what happens with that? The Supreme Court decides they are
going to decide for us a huge social question, not rooted in law or
the constitution,” King said. “They made it up as they went
along, and what happens? We march every year until we come back to
celebrate the end of Roe v. Wade.”