Marcus' World

Gay Marriage in California

Hurricane Katrina continues to command the nation's attention, for good reason.  If this were not the case, the California legislature's approval of gay marriage would be much bigger news. 

The message awaits the signature or veto of Governor Schwarzenegger, who says he would prefer that the matter be decided in the courts rather than by the legislature.  Last year, the Massachusetts courts did just that by declaring a ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. Of course, the conservative argument then was that this was a matter for the legislature rather than the courts.

California is not Massachusetts, and Schwarzenegger is his own man. But the irony is rich nonetheless:  the conservative strategy is to delegitimize whatever means are used to promote gay marriage.  It's easier to maintain prejudices than to build a more inclusive society.

A Laundromat Tribute

Helen and I enjoyed a getaway to Toronto over the Labor Day weekend. While there, one of my favorite sights was a boy--10 years old perhaps, 12 years at most--singing to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina.  His guitar case had lots of cash.

Last night I returned to New York, where laundry awaited. The televisions at our laundromat usually show basketball games, a movie, or wretched reality shows. After voting for John Kerry last Election Day, we asked them to turn to election night coverage. They refused.

So last night I was startled to see CNN, and eyes rapt with attention as people focused on the horror of Hurricane Katrina.  Larry King spoke with former President Bush, to promote the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund.  A little while later, a w0man from New York called to ask Reverend TD Jakes why a loving God had let this happen.  And at the end of the hour we saw a family reunited in Texas. 

Over the weekend I learned that the first fire company to send a new truck to New York City after September 11 was from Louisiana. So it's gratifying to see Americans opening their hearts and homes, in New York and everywhere else.  As Bob Herbert said recently, the American people are so much better than the Bush administration.