(CNN)Karen Pence, the wife of America’s vice president, Mike Pence will be teaching art at a Christian school in Virginia that bans LGBTQ children and requires employees to declare their religious beliefs. Like a real-life setting for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Immanuel Christian School insists applicants initial a pledge to “live a personal life of moral purity.”
This language is disgusting and insults millions of taxpaying American citizens, many who have served their country. That it is acceptable to the wife of the man who is a heartbeat away from the presidency should horrify and alarm all Americans.
Karen and Mike Pence are conservative, evangelical Christians who share beliefs about religion and politics. They have every right to do this. (“It’s absurd that her decision to teach art to children at a Christian school, and the school’s religious beliefs, are under attack,” said Kara Brooks, a spokeswoman for Pence.) But consider Mike Pence’s position of power in this country: He regularly stands shoulder to shoulder with his boss, Donald Trump. He has access to and can influence a President who is very interested in maintaining support among evangelicals.
For all their professed beliefs, Pence, and his wife, show unwavering support for a man who has been married three times, divorced twice, has had five children with three women and who has been accused of (though denies) paying a porn star and a Playboy model hundreds of thousands of dollars to conceal affairs he’d had with them.
Obama, a man who had no sex scandals, was never accused of sexual harassment, had two children with the same woman, couldn’t crack 25% white evangelicals. Of course, race is a huge reason, but Hillary Clinton only received 16% of the white evangelical vote.
For white evangelicals, it appears to be Trump over country — and Karen Pence is a glowing example.