Republican presidential candidate Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is not one who will shy away from attracting controversy over his conservative stance on family values, religion and gay marriage.
In a move that is expected to spark backlash from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or LGBT community, Gov. Huckabee has petitioned the Supreme Court to end gay marriages as one of the cornerstones of his presidential platform.
Huckabee wrote an open letter addressed to the High Court asking Supreme Court Justices to decide against gay marriages.
The letter reads:
"Dear Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Scalia, Justice Kennedy, Justice Thomas, Justice Ginsburg, Justice Breyer, Justice Alito, Justice Sotomayor, and Justice Kagan:
As you work towards making your ruling at the end of June, I am writing today to tell you marriage is between one man and one woman. Period. The Supreme Court is not the Supreme Being.
Sincerely,
Mike Huckabee
Huckabee's campaign is focused on strengthening marriages and the family as an institution. He stated in his presidential platform, "I may stand alone, but I am absolutely faithful to the issue of marriage. Not because it's politically expedient, but because it's the Biblical position, the historical position and the right position. We must defend, protect and preserve traditional marriage."
In his official presidential campaign web site, the conservative Republican aspirant pointed out his stand on Life, Marriage & Family Values and declared he would never apologize for his faith, conviction and values.
He vowed to defend his moral values. "We've abandoned the building blocks of civilization. Life, marriage and family issues aren't bargaining chips or political considerations. They are moral issues," Huckabee said.
On the issue of abortion, Huckabee maintained that life begins at conception. He stated that this fact was not just a Biblical view but was affirmed "by modern science and every unique human DNA schedule, which is present at conception."
Huckabee continued, "As Governor, I promoted and signed a fetal protection act. I imposed a ban on partial birth abortion, established waiting periods, created parental notification requirements, and passed a bill so mothers who brought a newborn to a hospital or fire station would not be prosecuted for child abandonment."
Indeed Huckabee is not afraid of speaking his minds out to generate debate, particularly on sensitive issues.
Speaking to Todd Starnes of Fox News on the latest shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina that killed nine people, including the senior pastor, the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, a state senator, Huckabee said the shooting could have been prevented if the church members were armed.
Huckabee described President Barack Obama as despicable for going after the guns, and added he was disappointed that Obama considered the shooting "a great opportunity for me to grandstand and jump up on the stump and talk about gun control."
Channeling the NRA's Wayne LaPierre, Huckabee said, "It sounds crass, but frankly the best way to stop a bad person with a gun is to have a good person with a weapon that is equal or superior to the one that he's using."
