I know I am.
As expected, the Ninth Circuit overturned California's Prop. 8, the voter-approved initiative that prohibited gay marriage.
The Obama administration issued new rules last week requiring that religious-affiliated insurance plans cover contraceptives.
As for abortion, there are new restrictions constantly being passed in conservative "red" states.
The polling data show that Americans are willing to live and let live on gay marriage. The country is split on abortion, but believe it should be legal to some extent. Also, most Americans, and nearly 60 percent of Catholics, believe religious institutions like colleges should include contraceptive coverage in their insurance plans. Although, it was politically clueless by the administration to push this contraceptive agenda this year.
Republicans are thrilled that these issues are percolating during a presidential election year as they see these non-job-related issues bringing the diehards to the polls. Gun control is always a rallying cry for wingnuts even when no one, but them, is talking about it.
While those issues may have influenced the 2004 election, the tide is turning away from a national fixation on things not related to the economy.
As more states, including Washington (hey, Oregon, we're looking at you), allow gay marriage, it is obvious that the world isn't ending anytime soon. Of course, the Mayan calendar gives us only another 10 months or so.
Gay marriage doesn't make a mockery of straight marriage. We have the high divorce rate, hypocritical politicians, the Kardashians and other celebrities to do that.
Please, let's move on.
As for contraceptives and abortion, it is counter-intuitive to oppose both. Without contraceptives, there will be more abortions. Do we want more abortions or less? I guess Fox News viewers can decide.
It is quite possible that the conservative Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade in the next couple of years. If Americans think that will settle the issue, they are living in fantasy land.
Until the Supreme Court has a majority of women justices on it, any decision outlawing abortion would be disregarded by the majority of Americans. Even then, a ban on all abortions will be unenforceable.
Men have nearly zero credibility on this issue. Either they're against abortion, which brings up the control-over-women angle, or they're for it because they don't want the responsibility of caring for unwanted kids.
The old line is true: If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
This election should focus on many things, including the economy that provides living wages, making health care more available and affordable and creating a fairer taxation system that asks more from the wealthiest of Americans.
The social issues are tiresome, counter-productive and, ultimately, a waste of time.
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