random thoughts on the election

I was very happy and lucky to be in a room full of people I love last night, with other people I love a mere phone call away, to share the joy of the day's presidential election results.

Chris and Andrew called from Harlem to report rejoicing in the streets, as evidenced by the wild shouting and laughing of thousands of Obama supporters in the back ground.

Omar, newly arrived to New York City from Puerto Rico, declared complete satisfaction with his decision to choose to vote here in New York for this historic presidential campaign, despite forfeiting his right to vote in Puerto Rico.

Other Andrew, somewhat less newly arrived to New York City from Wichita, Kansas via the United States Army, seemed thrilled to find himself surrounded for once by bleeding heart liberals (and elated bleeding heart liberals at that) on election night.

Mom, when we got through to each other on the phone, said that she'd left the living room, daring to step away from the television for a moment, only to hear Paul start shouting (which, if you know Paul, is cause for alarm). Much to her relief, it quickly became clear that this was a shout of joy.

But then there are the heartbreakers. Arizona apparently couldn't get it right two years ago, but this time around managed to adopt legislation banning same-sex marriage. Floridians and Californians*, in their open-mindedness and commitment to the notion of all people being created equal, actually voted to amend their Constitutions to take away the rights of gays to marry. Arkansas went beyond gay marriage and decided that unmarried couples (of any sort) don't have the right to adopt or foster children. (Because, you know, it's better for kids to be stuck in orphanages or abusive homes than to be placed in the care of loving, supportive families.) Alaska decided to send a convicted felon back to Washington, where he will get to cast votes in the Senate, even though Alaskan felons are not permitted to vote until after having served their time.

But on the other hand, Connecticut voters soundly rejected a plan to convene a state convention with the intention of overturning gay marriage rights there, so same-sex weddings can commence next week. South Dakota voters rejected draconian anti-abortion legislation again. And Colorado, bless its little heart, not only broke for Obama but also defeated a ballot measure redefining the legal term "person" to include all fertilized (human) eggs.

And did I mention that the Democrats won a majority in the New York State Legislature for the first time since 1964??

Oh yeah.

*Can someone explain to me how, exactly, it's fair or just for a mere straight-up majority to decide to take away a minority group's rights? Isn't it the Constitution's job to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority? And does anyone else find it odd that the Mormon Church is so obsessed with defining marriage between a man and a woman, anyway? I mean sure, they outlawed "plural marriage" back in 1890, but only to gain statehood, and yet somehow they've got the moral highground on this one??