I’m usually critical, skeptical, not easily given to optimism. I know enough about humanity and its history to be fairly confident in my pessimism.
Tonight, however, I’m wondering if this next year might prove my worst expectations false. Perhaps Americans have noticed the damage that’s been done to our country by Bush/Cheney and decided to change direction. Maybe our descent into near-theocracy will reverse course. It’s possible that we will return to older American values; financial security, peace internationally, peace domestically, low unemployment, high productivity, innovation. 
If it turns out that proposition 8 in California is passed, I’m saddened but not surprised. Disappointed but not defeated. What is been done can be undone.
The “Yes on 8″ crowd made it abundantly clear that their sole intent was to impose religious belief upon California state law. In the last three weeks their ads have constantly appealed to religious objections to homosexuality generally, but made no effort to provide any substantiation for their non-religious claims. Their only interest has been in spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt. They provided no reason to justify the denial of rights to gays to marry and establish families. These great supporters of family values. They don’t support all family values.
Obama should remind us that progress is possible. It may take longer than we’d like. Progress may bring as much pain as pleasure. That’s life.
If there were enough people in America to elect Obama, there ought to be enough people in California to support gay marriage. I understand that accepting an Obama presidency doesn’t in itself violate Christian sensibilities the way gays do.
The issue’s been raised. This time was too soon, the idea received a knee-jerk reaction fueled by religious intolerance and bigotry. But now more people are going to think about this, and many of them will reconsider the lines they’ve been fed. They’ll start to question theological presumptions that in some mysterious way gay marriage will somehow impact on their lives. The longer they think about their support of 8, the more likely they’ll come to their senses. They’ll realize that to allow does not imply an endorsement.
At some point, I hope soon, Americans will follow Barak’s example on the state level and below.
We’ll see. The times, they are ‘a changin’. New possibilities have been exposed. Conditions exist to breed hope.
Then again, my pessimism may eventually be proven justified and I’ll be calling myself a fool for having any hope at all. Change isn’t always just for the good. Change-for-the-sake-of-change and change-for-the-worse are just as possible.
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