I. There is part of me that is so amazingly happy about the election results. I know that his race is not listed among the qualities that will (cross your fingers) make Obama a good president, but I'm still really proud that, considering we're a country with a history littered with racism and prejudice, we elected him. It's progress. Not enough to counteract the predicted outcome (they're still counting absentee ballots) of California's proposition eight, but a significant step nonetheless. My parents are handling the loss well and pretty much avoiding the issue. It's pretty nice.

II. Ok, so this whole gay marriage/abortion/individual rights thing. What upsets me, aside from the obvious, is that these issues are still around. Because, seriously, Roe vs. Wade was settled by the supreme court. Remember that branch of government? Yeah, they figured out what the right answer was. Great, we're done. I feel like the chances of RvW being overturned are relatively slim, but it's being used as a way to draw party support based on emotion. Gay marriage is a slightly different issue since it's not currently legal--again, at least in California, the supreme court had spoken. Now I'm not saying the supreme court is without fault, but just maybe we could consider their point of view before we try to take away individual rights? Maybe? Anyone? I may be being optimistic about this kind of stuff but I don't think the supreme court just flipped a coin on the issue.

III. My suggestion for this whole gay marriage debacle is as follows. Nationally, all current government issued marriages should be re-classified to domestic partnerships without a change in rights or benefits. So just a different name. Individual churches, organizations, whatever, can marry you. Thus, your "marriage" is from your church which you personally subscribe to and therefore (hopefully) share views with and has nothing to do with a government backed by prejudice and exclusion. Domestic partnerships (which may need a new name because it's kind an unfortunate acronym) can be for everyone, marriages can be something you do on your own.

IV. In response to the complaints that a marriage between two people of the same gender is and attack on "traditional" marriages, I say: Dude, if that's an attack on "traditional" marriage then it's the lamest attack I've ever seen. I'm not opposed to launching a real attack: Marry a Stranger Day. Potentially dangerous, sure, but we can pass out rock-solid pre-nups at the door. Later that year we can do National Divorce Day, in which you can divorce your stranger-spouse for free.

V. My thoughts go to Bristol Palin and the father of her fetus. It's bad enough to be pulled into the international spotlight, and to have that woman as your mother, but to have it all be for nothing. Sucks and a half, I bet.