Bi-coastal gay controversies
Eventful day in the gays-in-society category:
- I certainly was not surprised to see the California Supreme Court invalidate the gay marriage licenses issued by San Francisco during the spring, and while it would be nice if the outcome were different I have to generally agree with the ruling. Unlike some other states, California had a fairly clear statute on the matter, and it wasn’t the place of the mayor or any other official to simply ignore it: the constitutionality of the law is being challenged separately, and there are legislative ways to change it. Lest capricious enforcement of law become a precedent, it seems a good idea to require elected officials respect and follow the law unless and until blatant defiance is the only possible way to prevent some sort of tragedy or injustice; if such an official doesn’t like a law, rather than simply ignore it he or she is obligated to work for change or to find legalistic ways to get around it. Leave civil disobedience to citizens.
- New Jersey Governor McGreevy’s resignation puzzles me a bit. Certainly, for a married father of two to admit to an affair makes his position difficult to maintain, and the added factor of its being a homosexual affair takes the intrigue and scandal up another notch. No doubt that all the distracting attention would simply make it impossible for him to effectively govern. However, if he’s worried that his actions will disastrously affect him, his family, and his office, then why is he sticking around until November 15 rather than simply stepping down immediately? For political and personal reasons, wouldn’t it be best to simply get out of the line of fire as quickly as possible?