Quote of the Day
If instead of a gem, or even a flower,
we should cast the gift of a loving thought
into the heart of a friend,
that would be giving as the angels give.
George MacDonald
Gov. Christie Vetoes NJ Gay "Marriage": Thumbs UP!
Maryland House Paves the Way for Gay "Marriage":
Thumbs DOWN!
It may surprise the younger generation that I've taken a strong position on this issue: polls show overwhelming support for gay marriage for younger people. Why shouldn't they? It seems that every popular television show has one or more positively-portrayed gay characters; in fact, Fox's Glee seems to be preoccupied with storylines of multiple gay or lesbian couples (of course, being terrorized by intolerant, ignorant straights).
I don't know many gays personally, although I was told later a couple of women I met while in the Navy were lesbians. Someone's sexual orientation was never really an issue among my family, friends, colleagues and myself; I always figured everyone deserves a chance at love, and what people do in the privacy of their own homes is their business. That reflects the libertarian side of my political philosophy, which I briefly discussed in the context of my Valentine Day's post. On the conservative side, when it comes to things like the institutions of marriage and family and certain cultural values/virtues (e.g., hard work, self-reliance, discipline, integrity, etc.), I don't believe in making significant changes due to the law of unintended consequences. There have been gay relationships over the centuries of recorded history, but these have not been awarded the same status as marriage, the foundation for sanctioned procreation in the concept of family, which is tied to society's self-preservation. The conservative position is not based on "discrimination" but on tradition.
Maybe a few justices or politicians think they can change fundamental social constructs by mere fiat, and who really cares if gay people want to call their relationships "marriages"? After all, gays have the First Amendment, too, and the freedom to associate. But, to reprise Obama's favorite saying, "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." I'm not saying mixed-gender relationships are "more equal" but different in a functionally distinctive manner.
I've sometimes referred to these progressive Democratic initiatives as no-lose "free plays" (i.e., the offensive team is able to continue play if a defensive player is caught offsides; the worst thing that can happen is they get 5 yards and the play over again. On the other hand, if they connect a 30-yard pass, they can keep the gain.) So now we've seen progressive Democratic-controlled legislatures fairly recently pass gay "marriage" proposals in Washington state, New Jersey, and Maryland. Even if they lose, they come across as magnanimous to the gay community.
It's very clear why Democrats have focused on this issue: according to the Williams Institute about 3.5% of American citizens are gay. In certain studies, only about 25% of gays report being in a monogamous relationship lasting more than a year, and the majority of committed relationships last less than 7 years. Isn't it comforting to middle America that progressive Democrats know, in a challenging economy, how to set their priorities?
Chris Christie vetoed as promised. There's good reason Governor Christie is appreciated by conservatives like me--none of his vetoes to date have been overridden, making him the real deal.
Political Potpourri
Everything I've been reading seems to suggest that Ron Paul has good reason to believe that he beat Romney in Maine in an Iowa-like closing surge. I have divided loyalties here having supported Ron Paul for the Iowa caucus before endorsing Romney. First and foremost, I have regard for the truth, and I'm inclined to believe that Romney has lost or will lose the Maine caucuses. The fact of the matter is if Romney had just held serve since 2008, he would have trounced Paul. Romney is not doing a good job connecting to voters. Even if Paul wins Maine, it's unlikely he can win anywhere else. Romney should do the decent thing and ensure all the votes are properly counted.
The Gallup tracking poll now shows Santorum's momentum surging past Romney, but not as high as Gingrich once did. Santorum still seems to be leading in Michigan although a Romney victory in his governor dad's state is definitely achievable. Arizona still looks good for Romney. Gingrich continues to fall away as Santorum has captured all the momentum.
Obama's approval numbers have eased off a bit towards the mid-40's; I expect the payroll tax cut "victory" will give him a mini-boost as well.
Political Humor
"A man in Ireland was arrested with more than 500 pounds of marijuana. So I guess there is a little pot at the end of the rainbow." - Jimmy Fallon
[I guess that new wholesale club concept in the underground economy isn't working out...
That pot of gold? It hasn't been seen since the Federal Reserve started observing Johannes Gutenberg's birthday...]
Researchers say that technology could be available soon to allow people to live to be 150 years old. To which Larry King's wife said, "No!" - Jay Leno
[That means that Barack Obama may actually live long enough to see Congressional Democrats one day balance the federal budget...]
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
Paul McCartney & Wings, "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
