Better start swimming, or you'll sink like a stone

Image via Heroes Not Zombies.

The "redefinition of traditional marriage" you keep hearing about actually got started two or three centuries ago, as it transformed gradually from the management of the relations between the Greater Sex and the Lesser to a voluntary association between individuals, partners in the language of founding father John Adams, who always used that word to refer to Abigail, and eventually equals, as women slowly achieved property rights, parental rights, and generally civil rights meant to be on par with those of men.

As marriage evolved from dependency of the wife on her lord and master to the interdependency of the two parties, ideally best friends and sex partners at the same time, it became inevitable that the authorities would run out of reasons for restricting it to different-sex couples, and so it has evolved over the last few years. The Supreme Court decision announced this morning shouldn't be a surprise at all, though it is certainly welcome, and deserves to be celebrated by all human beings. It's just logical, as Mr. Spock used to say, and about equality in both directions.

And liberty as well, of course, which only constitutional equality can guarantee. The nonsensical idea expressed by Governor Jindal, that

This decision will pave the way for an all out assault against the religious freedom rights of Christians who disagree with this decision

is like complaining that the Fourteenth Amendment limits my Fifth Amendment freedom to own people. It does, indeed, as it should. It's not freedom if it's only for some of us.

Anyway, happy Pride Weekend to all, and congratulations to humanity for getting this done.