TERRE HAUTE —
The American people have been shifting in their views of same-sex marriage for some time now, and the evolution of public opinion is clearly moving toward more tolerance, even acceptance. The trend is heartening. Denying same-sex couples the legal opportunity to wed is not something with which our government should be involved.
Involved, however, it is. Currently, there is a federal Defense of Marriage of Act, although the Obama administration has made it clear it views the law as unconstitutional.
What’s more, Indiana has its own ban on same-sex marriage, and there is an effort to get the prohibition placed into the state’s constitution. An attempt to amend Indiana’s constitution has already passed the required first of two consecutive sessions of the Legislature. If it passes again either in the 2013 or 2014 sessions, it will then go to voters in the fall of 2014 for approval or rejection.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court announced recently that it will hear matters related to same-sex marriage this year, with a ruling coming as soon as this summer. Depending on the court’s decision — which will be close, probably 5-4, either way — the future of government involvement in same-sex marriage could be set.
Because of the uncertainty that hangs over the Supreme Court cases, the Indiana General Assembly’s best approach in 2013 is to leave it alone. There is simply no reason to risk the political acrimony, or to waste time and resources, fighting over an issue that could be rendered moot by the high court in a few months.
Setting this issue aside will take little more than a small dose of common sense. Fortunately, there are those in the legislature’s super majority of Republicans stepping up to provide the type of leadership needed to deal appropriately with the matter.
State Sen. Luke Kenley, a proponent of putting the same-sex marriage ban in the state constitution the last time it came up in 2011, will oppose it if it comes up this time. He still describes himself as a supporter of traditional marriage, but he now doesn’t believe placing such a ban in the constitution is a good idea. The powerful chair of the Senate’s appropriations committee acknowledges public opinion is “rapidly evolving” in favor of same-sex marriage.
“I really value the institution of heterosexual marriage,” Kenley said recently. “But I do not think that putting a statement in the constitution which runs down or is bigoted toward people who have a different kind of loving relationship, that I may not understand, is going to be productive.”
Kenley may still not be part of the majority, but his shift is important. He is clearly a leader of stature and influence. That he would show the type of political courage necessary to bring about major changes of attitude on such an emotional topic will certainly give others pause and perhaps bring them to reconsider their own long-held positions.
No one expects Indiana’s elected officials, or even Hoosiers in general, to be leaders in the movement to legalize same-sex marriage. But it is not too much to expect that the state take a more measured approach on the matter and not do something that will end up having to be undone eventually, later if not sooner.
If the proposed constitutional ban is proposed in this next legislative session, we urge the Wabash Valley’s delegation to adopt the common-sense approach. Vote no on the constitutional ban and allow the issue to continue its evolution.
Editorials
EDITORIAL: State same-sex marriage ban should be rejected
Don’t waste time, let difficult issue evolve
- Editorials
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EDITORIAL: Cleaning up voter rolls
It’s not a lot of money in the big scheme of things, but the $2 million designated in the recent session of the General Assembly will begin the messy but necessary process of cleaning up Indiana’s voter registration rolls.
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EDITORIAL: Waging the ‘readiness’ campaign
Almost every Hoosier who starts college intends to finish. Unfortunately, those who arrive on campus unprepared in key academic areas are far less likely to fulfill that aspiration.
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EDITORIAL: Insult to an independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: Dashing finish for the Sycamores
It’s always thrilling to see Indiana State University’s athletic teams do well in high-level competition, and two specific teams rose to impressive heights last weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships.
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EDITORIAL: Better monitoring needed to prevent local environmental messes
The nasty, hazardous messes lurking in the community raise a bottom-line, red-flag question. Could these environmental problems have been monitored and, thus, prevented?
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EDITORIAL: Memo to U.S.A.: You can ‘SPPRAK’ just as we do in Vigo County
Our kids, truly, are ‘Making a Difference’
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Some words in praise of boring government — Indiana’s
A conservative Republican governor has super majorities in both branches of the legislature. One might suspect such one-party government leads to major changes in public policy. This did not happen in 2013 in Indiana.
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EDITORIAL: Doc’s prescient prescription
Viewed through a 2013 prism, Doc Bowen’s response to the AIDS epidemic looks merely prudent, routine.
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EDITORIAL: Education remains worth the cost
Within the next few weeks, each of the local colleges will have conducted graduation ceremonies. A few days later, a different Class of 2013 will don caps and gowns for commencement — the seniors at five Vigo County high schools. It is still a smart, worthy aspiration for those high school grads to replicate the achievement of those college students by earning a higher-education degree.
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EDITORIAL: Good news for downtown
For decades, it seems, downtown Terre Haute has been in the throes of change
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EDITORIAL: Overall, state budget step in the right direction
For average Hoosiers uninterested in political point-scoring, the budget crafted by the Indiana Legislature inspires only muted, if any, fanfare.
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EDITORIAL: The lessons of organ donation
The range of emotion surrounding life-saving transplantation of a vital organ is extreme. It is the ultimate “good news-bad news” scenario.
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READERS’ FORUM: April 26, 2013
• Pence’s tax cuts benefit wealthiest
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
This does not qualify as a surprise in any way. But the Wabash Valley’s response to widespread flooding of recent days has been nothing short of impressive, even inspirational.
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EDITORIAL: Still waiting for the jobs reward
The forces in control of Indiana government for most of the past decade need to show some results to Hoosiers in one primary category.
Good-paying jobs. -
MARK BENNETT: Littered with irony: Why do people callously discard their trash, and who are they?
Though they aren’t acknowledged by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are basically two demographic groups of people … Those who would dump their old toilet on the banks of the Wabash River or a rural roadside. And those who wouldn’t.
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EDITORIAL: Doing the dirty work to clean up tossed trash
A first-of-its-kind, coast-to-coast project to remove litter from U.S. roadsides brought the Pick Up America crew through the Wabash Valley two years ago.
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EDITORIAL: Keep school security a local issue
The decision to provide armed security inside a schoolhouse should be made locally.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
Indiana’s parks need your help.
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EDITORIAL: The return of terror
Emotions today remain strong and raw in wake of Monday’s terror bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
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EDITORIAL: A solution to distracted driving … stop it … now
You’ve got to stop. You know you do it. It’s a miracle you haven’t caused a tragedy already.
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EDITORIAL: ‘Women of Influence’: 2013 selectees have given much to their communities
For the second year, United Way of the Wabash Valley has teamed up with local sponsors to select and honor a group of women who have made outstanding contributions to their communities, professions and families.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: A new honor for our veterans
A commendation goes out today to state Rep. Clyde Kersey, a Terre Haute Democrat who led the charge this week in the Indiana House of Representatives to pay tribute to the nation’s Purple Heart recipients.
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EDITORIAL: Shifting view on marriage
One could argue, as many have, that Sen. Joe Donnelly did the right thing last week when he dropped his support of government-sanctioned opposition to same-sex marriage. It wasn’t a radical move, considering most Democrats have now made the switch.
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MAX JONES: The American Newspaper: Changing? Yes. Dying? No way!
It happened again this past January when all those “looking at the year ahead” stories started popping up on Internet “news” websites and broadcast “news” programs. Under a provocative headline reading something like “Five industries/businesses doomed to tank in the coming year,” there it was, a prediction based on an unsubstantiated “expert” analysis that the newspaper industry will continue in 2013 to suffer its slide into oblivion.
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EDITORIAL: A chance to change our bad cultural habits
The sight of diligent, eager young people dragging trash out of the Wabash River wetlands is both inspiring and sad.
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EDITORIAL: Maintaining high standards
Standards
It’s the raging buzzword in education circles these days. Everyone insists that higher standards must be met. Anything less is, doggone it, unacceptable. -
Noteworthy in the news
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EDITORIAL: Crack down on dumpers
There is a reason it’s called “illegal” dumping. It’s against the law. And there is a very good reason illegal dumping is against the law.
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Season of Day 2s arrives
Calendars in Cincinnati contain one extra holiday — Opening Day, traditionally the first Monday in April.
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EDITORIAL: Cleaning up voter rolls
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