Today, in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law legalizing same-sex marriage in that state, more than doubling the population living under such an arrangement. It's about time.
First, let me say this. The fact that some people in this country are allowed to marry those that they love and that others are not is a travesty. It is simple bigotry--it gives some a right which is withheld from others. There is really no simpler way to put it.
I would then, in my own small way, like to commend the four Republican State Senators who crossed the aisle and voted with the Democrats to pass this bill. They showed remarkable political courage in the face of a slew of conservative retribution--a truly wonderful example of what politics and governance should truly be about: voting with your heart.
"We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization." That statement was released by Catholic bishops in the state, and signed by archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. I find this statement laughable. The statistics show us that heterosexual marriage doesn't exactly have a flawless record, and for anyone to suggest that the ability to raise a family in a loving environment depends upon the presence of one male and one female parent is both irresponsibly presumptuous and overbearingly conceited. It is disgusting. And for the statment to suggest that "cornerstones of civilization" are always right is simply foolish. For the greater history of the world, slavery was a cornerstone of civilization, and women were (and sometimes still are) second class citizens.
This new law is a tremendous step in the quest for the equality of all United States Citizens. It recognizes the rights of all to love whoever they desire. It is a great success for the progessive cause, worthy of celebration by all.
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