Wednesday, November 19, 2003
A Grand Day In The Neighborhood
Yesterday, I mean, and a grand day because of the decision by the Supreme Court Of Massachusetts that gay human beings are just that, full human beings whose inalienable rights include the right to form lasting unions with one another that are recognized by the state. Okay, okay, let's call it by the name we use when speaking of heterosexuals - marriage.
I don't have time today to talk fully about the implications of the decision, but I wanted corrente, and I know I speak for my three compatriots, to go on record as welcoming the decision. This is a step forward in the long, slow, march of humanity to bestow on all of itself, individual liberty, dignity, respect, and equality.
The decision will pose special problems for liberals, progressives, and God help them, Democrats. The attacks, the rubbing of hands in glee, have already started, thwarted a bit today, at least on cable news, by the ascendant importance the media ascribes to the issue of a warrant for Michael Jackson's arrest in a case that will now be handled exclusively by the legal system, and about which there is really nothing intelligible to be said, until the facts and counter facts begin to be revealed during a trial, which is the only time such facts and counter facts should be revealed. But that is clearly too much to ask of our SCLM. (I guess they decided not to heed Atrios' heartfelt letter.) Irony of ironies, Jackson is taking tube time away from the rightwing Kubuki drama of roiling sound and fury one might have expected to have been let loose on the airways today. Something of a small mercy, a very small mercy.
The increasingly invaluable Allen Brill has all kinds of helpful material on the court's decision already posted; do follow his links to Ralph Luker and Hart Roussel. I especially liked Allen's run-down on the new leadership of the Christian right, complete with photos. One of those leaders is Roberta Combs, the new President of Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition. Let me leave you with a tidbit from a short interview with Mrs. Combs that appeared in The NYTimes Magazine; many blogs already spotlighted it for her innocently hypocritical admission that she works out of the home becaues she likes to, but something else about it struck me.
After establishing that Combs has been taking the group more toward the center than was Robertson's habit, and Mrs. Combs agrees that if one is to make progress one has to work with Democrats, too, and the interviewer notes that Combs had proven that in her willingness to work with Senator Schumer on anti-spam legislation, Mrs. Combs replies:
My first reaction was a little start of surprised pleasure, what Mrs. Combs probably felt when Senator Schumer called her. And then I found myself thinking, well, of course he's a very nice man, what did you think he'd be? And look at that "agreeing to meet with Senator Hillary Clinton." We're talking about a woman who is now a U.S. Senator, and was the first lady of the United States of America, and after agreeing to meet with her, Mrs. Combs can only " not judge her," and hope that Hillary doesn't disprove Mrs. Combs belief that there is good in everyone. For Heaven's sake, the differences between these two women are political; they have a moral dimension, but people can split on moral issues without either one being an embodiment of badness. And we're supposed to be grateful that just because we, the majority of voters in the last Presidential election, voted for Al Gore, Mrs. Combs is not about to call for our being shunned? Small mercies, indeed.
I don't have time today to talk fully about the implications of the decision, but I wanted corrente, and I know I speak for my three compatriots, to go on record as welcoming the decision. This is a step forward in the long, slow, march of humanity to bestow on all of itself, individual liberty, dignity, respect, and equality.
The decision will pose special problems for liberals, progressives, and God help them, Democrats. The attacks, the rubbing of hands in glee, have already started, thwarted a bit today, at least on cable news, by the ascendant importance the media ascribes to the issue of a warrant for Michael Jackson's arrest in a case that will now be handled exclusively by the legal system, and about which there is really nothing intelligible to be said, until the facts and counter facts begin to be revealed during a trial, which is the only time such facts and counter facts should be revealed. But that is clearly too much to ask of our SCLM. (I guess they decided not to heed Atrios' heartfelt letter.) Irony of ironies, Jackson is taking tube time away from the rightwing Kubuki drama of roiling sound and fury one might have expected to have been let loose on the airways today. Something of a small mercy, a very small mercy.
The increasingly invaluable Allen Brill has all kinds of helpful material on the court's decision already posted; do follow his links to Ralph Luker and Hart Roussel. I especially liked Allen's run-down on the new leadership of the Christian right, complete with photos. One of those leaders is Roberta Combs, the new President of Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition. Let me leave you with a tidbit from a short interview with Mrs. Combs that appeared in The NYTimes Magazine; many blogs already spotlighted it for her innocently hypocritical admission that she works out of the home becaues she likes to, but something else about it struck me.
After establishing that Combs has been taking the group more toward the center than was Robertson's habit, and Mrs. Combs agrees that if one is to make progress one has to work with Democrats, too, and the interviewer notes that Combs had proven that in her willingness to work with Senator Schumer on anti-spam legislation, Mrs. Combs replies:
Actually, when Senator Schumer called me, I was a little surprised. He turned out to be a nice man.
And you stunned some of your colleagues by agreeing to meet with Senator Hillary Clinton.
Yes. We talked about prescription drugs and the elderly. I can't judge her. I would like to think there is good in everyone. Tell me, whom did you vote for in the last presidential election?
Gore.
Well, just because you voted for Al Gore doesn't mean that you and I can't talk! I wouldn't hold that against you. That's my personality. I'm just hopeful you will vote for Bush next time.
My first reaction was a little start of surprised pleasure, what Mrs. Combs probably felt when Senator Schumer called her. And then I found myself thinking, well, of course he's a very nice man, what did you think he'd be? And look at that "agreeing to meet with Senator Hillary Clinton." We're talking about a woman who is now a U.S. Senator, and was the first lady of the United States of America, and after agreeing to meet with her, Mrs. Combs can only " not judge her," and hope that Hillary doesn't disprove Mrs. Combs belief that there is good in everyone. For Heaven's sake, the differences between these two women are political; they have a moral dimension, but people can split on moral issues without either one being an embodiment of badness. And we're supposed to be grateful that just because we, the majority of voters in the last Presidential election, voted for Al Gore, Mrs. Combs is not about to call for our being shunned? Small mercies, indeed.
