What a great Valentine's Day surprise! Yesterday evening, a federal court toppled Virginia's lingering ban on gay marriage. According to an NBC report, presiding Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen wrote in her opinion:
"Justice has often been forged from fires of indignities and prejudices suffered. Our triumphs that celebrate the freedom of choice are hallowed. We have arrived upon another moment in history when We the People becomes more inclusive, and our freedom more perfect."
And this past Tuesday, Matt Pearce of The Los Angeles Times reported on a similar appeal in Kentucky. A federal judge there struck down much of the southern state's ban on gay marriage, writing that Kentucky must recognize marriages legally rendered in other states. Best yet? U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn wrote this in his opinion:
"For years, many states had a tradition of segregation and even articulated reasons why it created a better, more stable society. Similarly, many states deprived women of their equal rights under the law, believing this to properly preserve our traditions. In time, even the most strident supporters of these views understood that they could not enforce their particular moral views to the detriment of another's constitutional rights. Here as well, sometime in the not too distant future, the same understanding will come to pass."
Let's hope and hope these forward-thinking justices are right! Nice day for social progress, Amurrrricah.
Image courtesy of c-ville.com.
