A Fresh Day
After yesterday’s despair, today’s reality check — with a dose of humor.
It’s encouraging to see that Congress does not seem interested in taking up the amendment any time soon, and some zealots are even predicting failure. Example: John Feehery, House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s spokesperson (whom I last heard on NPR mouthing platitudes about why the 9/11 investigation should not be given more time) said “sometimes you win for losing.”
I also respect the restraint of those Republicans who, whatever their feelings on the issue, think that amending the Constitution is not appropriate — and should always be a last resort. It’s more common than I expected, coming even from former Georgia congressman Bob Barr, the thrice-married author of the Defense of Marriage Act. (Barr says: “The Constitution is no place for forcing social policy on states, especially in this case.”)
But the best lines probably come from ol’ Bill Maher, whose take on the issue concludes as follows:
Well, you know what: Sometimes “most Americans” are wrong. Where’s the Democrat who will stand up and go beyond the half measures of “civil union” and “hate the sin, love the sinner,” and say loud and clear: ‘There IS no sin, and homosexuality is NOT an abomination’ — although that Boy George musical Rosie O’Donnell put on comes close. The only thing abominable about being gay is the amount of time you have to put in at the gym.
But that aside, the law in this country should reflect that some people are just born 100 percent outrageously, fabulously, undeniably Fire Island gay, and that they don’t need re-programming. They need a man with a slow hand.