An Oregon Judge's Gay Marriage Ruling Is Almost Old Hat, His Written Rationale Takes Eloquence To A New Level

U.S District Court Judge Michael McShane's
 ruling in favor of gay marriage in Oregon
was Constitutionally sound, but the eloquence
of his ruling was the best part.  

Today, U.S. District Court judge Michael J. McShane ruled that Oregon's ban on same gender marriages is unconstitutional.  

Which isn't a surprise, since a slew of judges have ruled in recent months that such bans violate the Constitution's guarantees of equal protection.

The Oregon ruling today means gay marriages started there today. Nice to see Oregon join the fold.

How McShane ended his written ruling, dated today, is something to behold, however. I have never seen anyone explain it better:

"My decision will not be the final word on this subject, but on this issue of marriage, I am struck more by our similarities than our differences. I believe that if we can look for a moment past gender and sexuality, we can see in these plaintiffs nothng more or less than our own families.

Families who would expect our Constitution to protect, if not exalt, in equal measure. With discernment we see not shadows lurking in closets or the stereotypes of what was once believed; rather, we see families committed to the common purpose of love, devotion and service to the greater community.

Where will this all lead? I know that many suggest we are going down a slippery slope that will have no moral boundaries. To those who truly harbor such fears, I can only say this: Let us look less to the sky to see what might fall; rather, let us look to each other...and rise."

Amen!