To Save the Republic

We've seen bombs and fire-fights in Boston, mass slaughter of children in schools, and (another) month of murderous mayhem in Chicago. So it's nice to know our stalwart police force is upping their game to secure our safety. From Fox News, we learn that last week the police put an 8th grader in jail - IN JAIL - on criminal charges - CRIMINAL CHARGES - for wearing a politically incorrect, but nevertheless legal, T-shirt to school.

Now, we know that if he had worn a T-shirt with a picture of a racist sadistic psycho like Che Guevara, or of bomb-throwing environmentalists, or even of cop-killers (sans, of course, images of the guns and bombs these people routinely employ), he would have been okay with the school district. But instead he chose a rather routine political message from the largest gun safety training organization in the United States in the world.

Ah, the naivete of youth. 

Should Gays be Allowed to Marry?

Sigh. The answer is yes. But that is like asking should people be allowed to join book clubs or should people be allowed to go fishing or should people be allowed to spend time at the seashore or should people be allowed to watch soap operas or should.....Again I say, sigh.

This is public debate these days, in which fundamental facts are breezed right over in favor of partisan induced strawmen fighting demagogic stereotypes, all on the front pages of the 'news,' echoing the zip zap opinions of the blogosphere. The question of whether Gays should be allowed to marry is a non-question, a rhetorical tic giving the appearance of a controversy where none exists. A lot of sound and fury, signifying.....nothing.

You want the fundamental facts? Gays have the absolute right to marry right now, today, in every state of the Union. There are no laws preventing them from standing up in a Church, reciting vows, celebrating with their friends, and shacking up in the house of their choice. Compare, for instance, the Gay situation with polygamy. There are laws against polygamy, and sometimes those laws are even enforced. Not so with Gays.

So, marry already. What, some churches won't let you marry under their auspices? Well, some churches won't let me marry under their auspices either (can you say Catholic Church?). No worries; find another church, or start your own, both of which are entirely legal also in these United States.

We've dealt with this issue before, here and here, and I hate to repeat myself. But in these times, in these dark days of public debate, these things need repeating.

So I repeat, sigh.