Voices of reason do, occasionally, ring out

Here are a couple of excellent articles that might be of interest.

The Final Rose Ceremony: Prop 8 by Judge David Young

The California Attorney General and I agree that Proposition 8 should fail, but not for any of the reasons raised in the lawsuits. Certain rights cannot be put to a popular vote. No fundamental right can be taken away by the voters.

Could the public, frustrated by a crime wave, take away a criminal defendant's right to remain silent? Definitely not. Voters simply don't get to vote on such things, at least not without a compelling justification. There was no justification for Proposition 8 other than to open another front in the culture way by appealing to hatred, fear and religious zealotry.

Who You Calling a Socialist by Harold Meyerson

But in the United States, conservatives have never bashed socialism because its specter was actually stalking America. Rather, they've wielded the cudgel against such progressive reforms as free universal education, the minimum wage or tighter financial regulations. Their signal success is to have kept the United States free from the taint of universal health care. The result: We have the world's highest health-care costs, borne by businesses and employees that cannot afford them; nearly 50 million Americans have no coverage; infant mortality rates are higher than those in 41 nations -- but at least (phew!) we don't have socialized medicine.

Check 'em out.