Supreme Court Affirms Gay Marriage

"So?"

Well, this morning the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that GLBT people have the right to marry.

So what? Is this really a big deal?

So, now gay couples have the same responsibility that straight people have to do it right. We'll see if a court decision impacts the level of commitment, faithfulness and fidelity in gay relationships. If marriage means anything, it means that couples work through problems, and stop trading in partners like they trade in their old cars now and then. Straight couples aren't doing that well in this area, and we'll see what the GLBT community does. Personally, I expect that divorce lawyers and going to be thrilled with the results of this decision. I hope that gay world makes me wrong.

So, the last stronghold of legal discrimination and differentiation between gay and straight people has been removed. The ramifications of this decision are a lot broader than marriage. If gay people can marry, and that is the most sacred, most untouchable social right, then they can reasonably expect to be treated as equals in every cultural or social arena. The big one has been overcome. The little ones shouldn't be a problem anymore.

So, another huge step in the redefining of Christianity in the U.S. is reinforced. Christians no longer have the right to hate gay people. They can disagree, just as they disagree with all kinds of people groups, legal decisions, behavior patterns, etc. Maybe it's time for Christianity to see itself as ambassadors of God's love and redemption rather than defenders of God's integrity. God's integrity doesn't need to be defended by a group of hard line, hypocritical, hateful people anyway, does it?

So, it really is a landmark day. Personally, I really hope that people younger than me, who love God with all of their hearts and are also gay, can can have the opportunity to enjoy life on a level that I never could. God bless and help them.

Should We Educate Kids, Or Just Give Them Guns?

"Racially Motivated Gun Vioence? Who'd Have Thunk?"

I Support The Second Amendment. Period. But...

What do we think will happen in society when we give guns to kids but won't fund education?

There are a lot of people who were born on 3rd base. Their parents have enough money to get them an education, buy them their first car, bail them out of jail when they get their first DUI, fully fund their college experience, and set them up for life. Why do these guys think they actually hit a triple?

There are a lot of people who never had the opportunity to get a good education. They grew up in underfunded public schools with overworked and under-acknowledged teachers and couldn't afford college. They scraped up enough money for several down payments on cars from a 'buy here, pay here' place that raped them on interest. They miss a payment, and the cars are repossessed. They work for $8/hour as a worker bee whose purpose is to make someone else a ton of money. They are disenfranchised and disconnected from the American Dream, and (from their point of view) powerless to change that.

Education is empowerment. So is a gun. The Second Amendment is about empowerment of people against an oppressive government. We claim it as a right. But public education is a necessary evil. Rich people don't need it, and therefore don't want to pay for it. Poor people think in survival terms, not investment in the future terms, and don't appreciate it.

So why are we surprised when gun violence makes headlines?

Access to education is hard. Access to guns is easy. I think we can expect a lot more random, stupid gun violence in the future of our great country. (Or we could change our priorities a little.)

Why Does A Dragon Have Need Of Gold Anyway?

"I thought dragons were extinct."

It seems that as I get older, I meet more and more people who have achieved their dreams - successful people who have done life right. They studied hard, developed life skills, worked hard, built their mansions and bank accounts and have everything they ever wanted. They are living the American dream, and I'm proud of them and happy for them. I'm farther away from that goal, but getting there sort of.

I believe in hard work and the risk/reward equation on which our economy and culture is built. I get the Republican disdain for a government that wants to take away the fruits of their labor and give it to people who didn't work for it, didn't make good decisions, don't earn their keep and don't add anything to our society. The government wouldn't care about them either, except that they can vote.

I even get it that people who crossed the finish line years ago, and have enough wealth to fund the rest of their lives and their children's still work every day to increase their success and impact on the world around them. They just keep doing what they do, being who they feel they are created to be and expressing themselves through the gifts and resources they have been given in life. Their self worth is in their success, and their reward quantifies their value. I get it.

But at some point, people become just like dragons of ages passed. They accumulate gold for its own sake, and defend it with all of the claws, teeth and fiery breath of the best folklore. They act as if they will live a thousand years, and drive themselves mad with fear that someone will take away their fortune.

I don't ever want to be a dragon.