(Texas reaction at end)
An article at the U.S. Supreme Court web site starts in the following manner:
“EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW”-These words, written above the main entrance to the Supreme Court Building, express the ultimate responsibility of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court is the highest tribunal in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.
I know that my colleagues here at TMV will have much more eloquent and incisive comments on the historic and momentous decisions rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court on two consecutive days . Although suffering from jet lag, etc., I cannot let these decisions pass without some simple yet heartfelt comments.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that, in the wealthiest and most democratic and powerful nations on earth, it is a right, not a privilege, of all Americans — the rich and the poor, the black and the white and everyone in between — to have access to affordable and decent health care.
Today, the Supreme Court ruled that my son, your daughter, my neighbor, your good friend, all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, have the right to marry the one they love.
Of course, the same people who applauded the same Supreme Court Justices for rulings to their liking are now condemning them as lawless, robed Houdinis and other names not fit to be quoted here at TMV.
More on that later.
Today is a day to celebrate.
Added:
Texas Reaction:
Some commentary from my local newspaper in the heart of Conservative Texas, albeit Travis County bucks that trend.
After some comments on the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling, such as:
“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. “(Gay couples) ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”
The Austin American-Statesman reports:
Travis County clerk Dana DeBeauvoir began issuing same-sex marriage licenses at 10:30 a.m. Friday and said her office will stay open until 6:30 p.m. Extended office hours will continue next week and through the Fourth of July weekend.
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“This is a joyous day. I am delighted for all couples who wish to be legally married in Texas,” DeBeauvoir said.
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Three gay couples were already at the clerk’s office within minutes of Friday’s ruling to seek information on obtaining a marriage license.
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The first couple was Lupe Garcia and Cindy Stocking, who said they met at church about a year and a half ago but had been waiting for each other their entire lives.
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Jacque Roberts also turned out with her partner after seeing the news. “I didn’t think it would happen in my lifetime,” Roberts said.
But (Yes, there are always “buts” in Texas):
It is unclear yet how officials in other counties will respond, particularly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggested Thursday that clerks adopt a go-slow approach and await guidance from his office.
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Williamson County posted a sign saying it would not be issuing same-sex marriage licenses until its vendor makes software changes to licensing forms. The sign noted that Travis, Bexar and Dallas counties are issuing licenses.
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Hays County spokeswoman Laureen Chernow said it is not yet clear when the county will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses. County Clerk Liz Gonzalez is awaiting updated license forms from the state, Chernow said.
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[..]
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Paxton called Friday’s ruling flawed and an assault on the U.S. Constitution.
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“The impact of this opinion on our society and the familial fabric of our nation will be profound. Far from a victory for anyone, this is instead a dilution of marriage as a societal institution,” Paxton said in a statement.
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Paxton added that his office would soon address “questions about the religious liberties of clerks of court and justices of the peace.”
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“The truth is that the debate over the issue of marriage has increasingly devolved into personal and economic aggression against people of faith who have sought to live their lives consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage,” he said. “This ruling will likely only embolden those who seek to punish people who take personal, moral stands based upon their conscience and the teachings of their religion.”
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[…]
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Gov. Greg Abbott, who said five Supreme Court justices imposed their personal views on the nation, said he will issue a directive to state agencies “instructing them to prioritize the protection of Texans’ religious liberties.”
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“Despite the Supreme Court’s rulings, Texans’ fundamental right to religious liberty remains protected,” Abbott said. “No Texan is required by the Supreme Court’s decision to act contrary to his or her religious beliefs regarding marriage.”
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[…]
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The Texas ban on same-sex marriage has been on borrowed time since it was ruled unconstitutional almost 17 months ago by a San Antonio federal judge who said the prohibition demeans the dignity of gay couples for no legitimate reason.
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“Equal treatment of all individuals under the law is not merely an aspiration — it is a constitutional mandate, ” U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia wrote. “Without a rational relation to a legitimate governmental purpose, state-imposed inequality can find no refuge in our United States Constitution.”
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Garcia suspended enforcement of his ruling while Texas appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has not yet acted on the case. Garcia lifted his stay Friday.
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[…]
.About 23,200 same-sex Texas couples can be expected to say “I do” within three years of a favorable Supreme Court decision, the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute estimated in 2014.
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