Editorial Of The Day

From the editorial board of the New York Times:

Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and marriage-equality opponent who may make a run for the Republican presidential nomination, reiterated his longstanding belief that the decision on whether to allow same-sex marriages should be left to the states. In 2008, during his tenure as governor, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure defining marriage as a union between a man and woman in the State Constitution.

Mr. Bush said that everyone should show respect for the rule of law as well as “the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue — including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.” Mr. Bush’s call for compliance and civility was commendable, although it is hard to see how allowing gay couples and their children the dignity that comes with marriage threatens anyone’s religious liberty.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court appears to be inching closer to deciding whether to extend marriage equality nationally before its term ends in June. At the court’s private Friday conference, the justices are expected to consider petitions for review from five states where federal district judges, departing from the national trend, upheld same-sex marriage bans. The spread of marriage equality in the states should help persuade the justices to use one of these cases as a vehicle to end a grievous injustice.

Reminder: SCOTUS will consider potential marriage cases during its conference on this Friday.