Gays and Guns

Against gay marriage? Don't have one! Against guns? Don't buy one!

That seems to be the general consensus in America these days. With the Supreme Court having been asked this past week to consider the constitutionality of the anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 in California and the hilariously titled Defense of Marriage Act, the justices appear to be trying to seek out some sort of middle ground that allows them to rule on gay rights without necessarily invalidating state and local laws. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has indicated that she would like to see a ruling that moves gay equality forward without necessarily legalizing gay marriage nationwide before a consensus can be reached in the legislative process. She fears that the same sort of animosity caused by the en masse overturning of anti-abortion laws with Roe v. Wade in 1973 could be stirred up here if the Court goes too far. Yet more Americans are embracing the idea of allowing same-sex marriage by the minute. I don't think the Court will go as far as it did with Roe vs. Wade, but I think it will nudge gay rights in a positive direction, as the country quickly becomes more liberal on the issue.

If the country is more accepting of gay marriage, it is less accepting of gun control. Despite polls having shown majority support for proposals like background checks and a ban on assault weapons, the chances of passing new gun control laws in Congress have lessened, what with proposals for smaller clips and assault weapons bans going nowhere on Capitol Hill and even background checks failing to attract congressional support. This is mainly due to Republicans and moderate and conservative Democrats in Congress who have to answer to gun rights supporters back home. But it's also because overall support for stricter gun control laws has waned recently despite Newtown. Only 47 percent of people surveyed recently want stricter gun laws, compared to 57 percent in December 2012. Intelligent foreigners might wonder why we would let gun laws remain as they are after so many mass shootings in this country, but then they don't understand Americans. They don't appreciate how so many people are so stupid in this country that they can be talked into allowing high-capacity bullet magazines and talked out of allowing high-speed bullet trains.