Hypocrisy Is Handsome

The State of North Carolina is getting ready to vote next week on, among other things, Amendment One, which would amend the state constitution to make anything other than heterosexual marriages unlawful domestic unions. Translation: It would make gay marriage unconstitutional. I don’t live in North Carolina anymore, so I won’t be voting on this, but plenty of my friends do, and some of them happen to be gay. Suffice it to say that they have been rather outspoken against the proposed amendment on Facebook and elsewhere.

The State of North Carolina is getting ready to vote next week on, among other things, Amendment One, which would amend the state constitution to make anything other than heterosexual marriages unlawful domestic unions. Translation: It would make gay marriage unconstitutional. I don’t live in North Carolina anymore, so I won’t be voting on this, but plenty of my friends do, and some of them happen to be gay. Suffice it to say that they have been rather outspoken against the proposed amendment on Facebook and elsewhere. I actually don’t have a terribly strong opinion on this issue, as I’m: a) already married; and b) to a woman.

Since I’m not planning to get gay married, gay marriage isn’t a pressing issue for me. Sure, we can talk about the morality of civil rights issues, and that’s all well and good, but I’m not sure if being gay is the same thing as being black or being female. Some people think it is. Some people think it isn’t. And I just don’t know. But, for the sake of argument, let’s say I was in North Carolina next week, and I votedFOR Amendment One. Would it not then be hypocritical of me to go out and attempt to get married to another man? What if I voted for some pro-life legislation, only to turn around and beg my pregnant partner to have an abortion? All clear-cut hypocrisy.

So, I was rather surprised to learn that Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who replaced Sen. Ted Kennedy after his death, and who almost derailed the health reform effort by voting against the Affordable Care Act, has actually used provisions of the law to provide health insurance to his 23-year-old daughter, Ayla. He might as well have voted against ice cream and then asked for two scoops of chocolate when it didn’t work. What that should underscore is that the Affordable Care Act is already doing a number of great things. Things so good, in fact, that even people who opposed them want in on the action.