Monday morning links

Elizabeth Warren: “Nobody in this country got rich on his own”:

And, also in the US, following the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, marine recruiters start setting up stalls in gay centres. Come fight and die for the country that’s only just sort of willing to tolerate your existence!

Meanwhile, back home, Alex Greenwich from Australian Marriage Equality tries to reassure Jim Wallace that the diabolical “gay agenda” wants what he wants:

Jim, let me assure you WE COME IN PEACE.

Loving same-sex couples don’t want to destroy marriage. We want to be a part of it and help this great institution flourish and grow as it has in other nations that have allowed same-sex couples.

If you don’t believe me, look north to the Scandinavian countries and to American’s north east states. They have had same-sex marriage longer than most and heterosexual marriage rates have actually gone up!

Let me reassure you that we respect and uphold the right of churches to not marry a gay couple if they don’t want to.

Of course this should also mean that those faith communities, like progressive synagogues, that want to marry gay couples should be able to. This is matter of religious freedom, which I know you support.

We also share your concern for the wellbeing of children.

You recently launched the For Kids’ Sake report by Professor Patrick Parkinson which found kids with married parents do better.

With that in mind wouldn’t you agree that the children of same-sex parents deserve the right to married parents too, something that is currently denied to them?

I guess what I’m saying is that the most common arguments made against marriage equality – respecting marriage, protecting religion and enhancing children’s rights – are actually arguments for marriage equality.

In other words, you have nothing to fear from us. Jim, we come in peace.

Man, Jim must feel pretty silly after reading that. All of his anger, all of his wasted effort, for no good reason at all! Ah well. At least he can move on now.