What is going on in the US Supreme Court? Most people glumly assumed that the conservative members called the shots, but yesterday the Court struck down marriage bans nationwide in a 5-4 decision, thanks to Justice Anthony Kennedy. The decision affirms that same-sex couples can indeed marry in every state in the union, and conforms to public opinion, with several recent polls showing that about 60 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage rights.
Some people understandably think that same-sex couples should have same rights of every other citizen, but they that shouldn’t call a union “marriage”, because that term has a particular religious connotation that causes offense in some quarters.
However, following the earlier decision this last week in support of the Affordable Health Act, it is a welcome fact that poor people and minorities are getting some help, and that life isn’t just about putting more money and power into the hands of the 1%. The next issue should be an end to Citizens United, which gave rise to the Super PACs and the the purchase of elections by shadowy and un-named donors. Epicureans for the restoration of one person, one vote! It would make ourlives very much more pleasant.
What has happened is absolutely fantastic, but there is still much work to be done. The fact is, that more than 90% of the world’s population live in countries where gay marriage is illegal, and many live in countries where homosexuality is also illegal. Although the West has significantly improved its acceptance of the gay community, much of the rest of the world has hardened its stance, such as Uganda making being gay an offence worthy of a life sentence in prison. Many liberals believe that gay marriage was inevitable- but even if it was in America, it certainly isn’t elsewhere.
Advancing gay rights in the rest of the world will be particularly hard given our privileged status. Many will say, ‘how dare these rich white Europeans tell us what our culture should be like!’ Even within the Western world, rich areas tend to be more socially liberal than poor ones- compare wealthy San Francisco or Seattle to rural Alabama for instance, or fairly wealthy London and Brighton to Essex or Wales. I really don’t know the answer to this.
Yes! there’s been widespread and (mutatis mutandi) nationwide welcoming of the decision and also in the social media. No need to round up the usual grousing suspects, they’re out in full force but their voices are drowned out for now.
The puerile comments in Justice Antonin Scalia’s decision have drawn waves of ridicule and criticism. Scalia’s comments attacking fellow justices personally were bad enough but his 8th-grade level of insults (“hippies”) must make his fellow justices cringe. The mockery and satire have pierced the Gravity Meter theater on
which SCOTUS relies on for PR heft.