Doug PollardIowa says yes to gay marriage
April 3rd 2009 20:18
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The Iowa Supreme Court has struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, making Iowa the third US state where gay marriage will be legal. It's now up to the legislators to sort out how. And they will.
This statement from the elected leaders of Iowa Really Long Link makes it clear that the decision of the Iowa Supreme Court is not, as the usual faux-Christian groups like Family Research Council have been claiming, a case of judicial activism overriding the will of the people. The elected representatives are right behind it.
Iowa is the American heartland, as it likes to call itself. Des Moines is not San Francisco and Iowa is not California. It is the epitome of mainstream America. It's also relatively non-aligned: it swings between Democrat and Republican (currently it leans Democrat).
According to Wikipedia, it is one of the safest, best-educated US states - and acceptance of diversity is a by-product of intellegence and education, just as intolerance and fundamentalism are by-products of ignorance and a failure to value and foster the intellect.
The gay marriage train is rolling in the US. Hawaii came within a whisker but for a procedural hitch, California Supreme Court may yet strike down the Prop 8 vote, both Houses in the Vermont legislature have voted firmlyfor gay marriage and only the legally dubious intransigence of the Governor stands in the way. New York is also in the queue to be the next state to legislate equality.
The election of Barack Obama is driving the vestiges of intolerance to the margins and into history. Pretty soon gays and lesbians will be able to echo the old civil rights cry, "Free at last!"
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