Warning: The following is political. I try to avoid that, but some things are too important. Feel free to just skip this and come back another day. But, you were warned.
Yesterday was historic - at least in this little part of the planet. The U.S. District Court for the 4th Judicial Circuit struck down Virginia's law prohibiting the marriage of people of the same gender. Wow! Hurrah! Dancing in the streets last night and all that good stuff.
Of course, it will be appealed and a Stay will begin today, but it's a huge step forward for this state which is perhaps the most purple in the nation.
If you are still reading, I have only three points:
1) After 30+ years of marriage (to a person of the opposite gender), I can think of no way that the marriage of two women or two men would challenge my marriage in any way.
2) Children need two (or perhaps more) loving parents. The pieces parts don't really mean anything ... just the love.
3) As a nation we need to separate the legal and religious components of marriage. A close friend of mine is a Methodist minister. When he performs a marriage he ends by saying, "By the power vested in me by The Commonwealth of Virginia, I now pronounce you man and wife." All the ceremony that comes before may be the "church part" but the power comes from the state. That's what we need to change. We need to provide a way that a couple - any willing adult couple - can go to a state-sanctioned official to be united legally and then they can deal with the church in the way that is right for them. Some states provide that - one can get married by a clerk at the courthouse. But many others - including Virginia - do not. It needs to be the standard.
This change is coming and we need to just get over it and move on. Next stop ... the Supremes!
"Someday, we'll be together!"
