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On Monday last week the United States Supreme Court made the decision not to review pending case appeals that has cleared the way for same sex marriage to be legal in five states. Their decision puts off any ruling on the constitutionality of same sex marriage that would be applied nation wide. The court has sent a clear message that it is comfortable with same sex unions and does not feel the need to overturn lower court decisions that have ruled that state prohibitions of same sex marriage were unconstitutional. Many other states will soon be joining the five states in making same sex unions legal.
In Arizona there are pending case appeals in the 9thCircuit Court. It is only a matter of time before they rule in favor of same sex marriage and overturn Arizona’s ban as unconstitutional. I am sure the far right wingers will be hollering about the liberal courts and crying about the sanctity of marriage. The tea drinking legislators will probably try to pass some ignorant futile law to try and stop it or to allow discrimination against Gays and others like SB 1062 which Governor Jan Brewer vetoed. Some will probably burn their Cher and Bette Midler CDs.
Having worked at Arizona State Prison, I saw the sanctity of marriage in action. I have seen child molesters who had targeted married women with children not for love but to victimize the kids. I saw an inmate on Death Row get married twice while in prison. His crime that he received the death penalty for was murdering his first wife to collect some insurance money. I for one do not feel threatened by same sex marriage. I welcome another victory for civil rights. After all equal rights for one person or group are a victory for all of us!
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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