Friends:
Just skimmed through reports regards the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision that "gay marriage" is constitutional. As you might imagine, the decision earned banner headlines across the front page of the comparatively sedate Boston Globe, which devoted four full pages inside to the issue, plus the lead editorial and a significant op-ed piece. Naturally, it is the talk of talk-show stations this morning. Perhaps a harbinger of the bumpy road ahead, the ultra conservative hosts of a program I tune into from time to time were split on the decision: the discussion between them was heated and getting personal...and the callers only seemed to be throwing gasoline on the blaze. Observations so far: 1. Although the local rags have gotten reactions from virtually every religious group in the Commonwealth, it failed to get a single reaction from The Mormon Church. This is quite odd, given that the governor is a Mormon. 2. The decision is far from law, although Cambridge is already discussing the possibility of summarily adopting a local ordinance sanctioning gay marriages. Obviously, this could/should encounter some legal challenges during the 180 stay of the SJC's decision. 3. Romney has already proposed a Constitutional Ammendment that would specificially forbid gay marriages and would define marriage consistent with the ammendments the church has promoted in other states: one man and one woman. It seems likely that such an ammendment would be adopted by the state legislature. The vote would be breathtakingly close, I think. 4. Should a referendum ensue (essential if a constitutional ammendment forbidding homosexual marriage is approved by the legislature), it will prove to be highly devisive in the commonwealth. I have no idea which side would prevail. The voting would be close, no matter what. 5. The is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue. Yet. All but one of the people on the SJC are Republican appointees. And, several key openly gay legislators and political leaders are Republicans, yet it's unclear where they stand on the decision. One seemed to waffle quite a bit this morning. 6. One wonders how long it will be before the Mormon Church emerges as a major factor/player in all of this, given its leadership of efforts to get states to adopt ammendments defining "marriage" as a union between one man and one woman. When it does, I suspect I will suffer from Yogi Berra disease: "deja vous all over again." 7. Depending on how this plays out, it could either launch Mitt to center stage nationally or it could sink him. If he were cautious, he'd lie low and let the matter sort itself out. So far, he's way, way out front. And, his rhetoric is quite sharp, forceful and passionate (Mitt is not known to be a particularly passionate kind of guy). His leadership may also fully repair whatever bridges he torched in Zion back in 1992 when he slipped into the pro-choice camp back during his ill-fated run against Teddy. I realize he did himself brown with the Olympics...but it's likely that some doubts still linger. This is going to get a lot nastier. And, if you are wont to get your trousers in a knot over the issue of separation between church and state in Utah, let me offer this advice: You ain't seen nuttin yet. RB Scott "Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives." James Joyce =============================================================== ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
