A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
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A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
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November 19, 2003A Step Forward? 2 Steps Back?My state's Supreme Court's recent decision to grant gays etc. the right to marry has been the topic of much discussion. Notably, democrats running for President don't seem too eager to hoot, and when you read the results of this Pew Center poll, you see why. I grew up in Boston's burbs and commuted to UMass-Boston. So I had the pretty unique almost-daily experience of leaving my hometown as a pretty liberal guy and arriving in class as a conservative. I've worked and socialized with gays and lesbians long enough that I have a very hard time fathoming the opposition to granting them equal rights. I care only about the content of their charcter, and how they use their private parts just does not seem to me to be something that reflects on that character. But I am deeply concerned that this small step forward today will be followed by several steps back, if not a kick down the stairs. See Eugene Volokh's savvy take on this. The 2nd half of the 20th century saw many interest groups seeking to change social policy through the courts, and now at the dawn of the 21st century, opposition groups have turned it into a real chess game. Posted by Brian Keegan at November 19, 2003 09:04 PMComments
Heh, my wife got an email from a relative today decrying the "tyranny of the Court" in Mass. Oh the sweet irony. This is an acid test for the so-called Massachusettes liberal. Note also that GWB had an excellent opportunity to show respect for the Constitution and failed miserably. Posted by: Ron C at November 19, 2003 11:31 PMI take a liberal, or is it libertarian, view on gay marriage. If people want to do it, why not? The arguments against it mostly stem from "revelation" -- that it's considered an abomination in the Bible. I don't think revelation is a good basis for policy making. It will still not be possible for Michael Jackson to marry a 12 year old here in Massachusetts. There is a very good argument against it based on reason. This decision does not open the floodgates. Actually, I consider myself liberal only in the short term on this issue. I think gay marriage is "future centrist" What I mean is that while the idea takes getting used to, bringing gays into the fold of marriage will actually have a conservatizing and bourgeoisifying effect on them. One of the ways one can project future trends is by looking at the attitudes of the younger cohorts. If one does that, there is every reason to think that gay marriage will be accepted over the long term, and that its opponents will be discredited when the history books are written. Posted by: rickheller at November 20, 2003 12:00 AMExactly, Rick. The cultural battle is over -- has been since the mid-90's. The required legal support was finalized this year. The rest will be simply waiting for the culturally inert to die off -- protesting loudly all the way. Posted by: Erasmus at November 20, 2003 12:10 AMI believe that eventually Gay marriage will be commonly accepted in the US and someday we will wonder what the fuss was all about. We are a fair way from there yet but as RickHeller pointed out, the young seem in favor and eventually their attitudes will prevail. Please remember that this country has come a long way in liberalizing our attitudes towards gays who can now live pretty normal American lives. Posted by: tallan at November 22, 2003 07:43 PM |
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