It is easy to make the marriage equality issue a Red versus Blue, a Republican versus Democratic debate. While it is not completely fair, the current stance of the Republican Party versus the Democratic Party makes it a necessary narrative.
After-all, President Obama has evolved over the last year, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has evolved over the last few months , and Hilary Clinton has evolved over the last few weeks. In the last few days most of the last Democratic holdouts including Delaware Senator Tom Carper, Claire McCaskill, Mark Warner, &Mark Begich have evolved as well. There are now just seven Democrats that still “oppose” marriage equality, many like Mary Landrieu who refuses to lead on moral grounds that giving the polls would ultimately help her, will eventually join the fold.
The problem with Republicans on this issue is that their platform codifies gay prejudice. It means every Republican politician coming out in favor of marriage equality is coming out against the most recent actively fought issue at the Republican National Convention. While it was brave for Senator Rob Portman’s coming out in favor of marriage equality, his come to Jesus moment showed a lack of empathy as it only came because he was directly affected with his son coming out as gay.
Today another Republican Senator, Mark Kirk of Illinois, a socially moderate Republican, announced his support for marriage equality. He cloaked it in conservative terms as if he read David Brooks New York Times article today. According to CNN he said:
"Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage," he wrote in a statement. "Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back – government has no place in the middle."
Senator Kirk was obviously alluding to the stroke he had January 2012. Later he said:
"When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others,"
Just like many Democrats are falling in line to be on the right side of history, so will Republicans if however at a slower pace. Many in the base will refuse to change indefinitely. After all, the Civil Rights Bill was passed in the sixties and there are still those that continue to show disdain for it. That said, most in this country are good moral people when they are provided the ability to get truth. Most act appropriately on that truth. America is crossing one of its last hurdles of codified hate.
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It would probably be less insulting to the senator, and more in keeping with Coffee Party objectives, if you didn’t use the term “caves.”