Monumental

“It’s actually relatively rare that the Supreme Court decides something of such monumental importance that your grandchildren will be thinking about them, and this is that kind of case.”

The US Supreme Court hears arguments today on Prop 8. Even now, the lawyers are making their case. The brief by Kristin Perry et al is posted here. The news media are exclaiming that it took “only fifty years” to get here (as if the world began in 1962). Well, perhaps for me it did. 1962 is the first year for which I recall awareness of the calendar turning over to a new year, 1963. It looked too strange. I recall taking a crayon and crossing out the offending 3 to put back the numeral 2. This year, I suppose some adults will be trying to do the same.

Update: According to the NYT, Justice Scalia said: “I suppose we could have a questionnaire at the marriage desk asking, ‘Are you fertile?’”

Scalia then joked about Senator Strom Thurmond, who fathered in his 70s and served in the Senate until age 100. Scalia neglected to mention that Thurmond–the famous segregationist–had also fathered a daughter at age 16 with an African-American mother. He kept the daughter secret all his life. That is the kind of conservative family life that the Prop 8 proponents are trying to protect.

Update: “You can’t beta-test rights.” Jon Stewart, Daily Show