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Wednesday, 08 February 2012 14:14

Written by Reg Henry

Bradley C Bower/AP

As I wrote in my last posting about Charles Dickens and a debate about rape broke out, followed by more ill-tempered remarks about abortion, it is probably vain of me to suggest any new topics.

But goodness knows we need to change the subject. Just to assert the possibility that I am not entirely irrelevant to my own blog, I suggest two subjects:

1) The state budget. The no new tax pledge is honored but it is a pitiable thing. By cutting funds for higher education, a move that further reduces the promises of the future, Gov. Tom Corbett has probably doomed families to fork over more money for college tuition, just as cutting back on education last time led to some school districts having to raise their taxes.

And by refusing to factor in what must be done to fund transportation needs and ignoring how much local communities will be getting from Marcellus Shale fees — and remember don't call a fee a tax, although the effect is the same — the governor has produced a budget that is a sham. And, as usual, the party of family values is further going to impoverish the poor.

Nice going. And all so the governor can say he hasn't raised taxes.

2) Victory for gays. I refer you to he story titled "Court Voids Gay Marriage Ban in Calif." I say hurrah. The reactionary right will be put off the day of reckoning but in 25 years people will look back and wonder what all the controversy was about.

Every day, people across the country are becoming more accepting of gay marriage and a new generation is arising that doesn't care a fig about the ancient prejudice against homosexuals.

All the king's horses and all the king's men, and all the Supreme Court justices, can't put the traditional understanding of marriage back together again. Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and there's no putting him back up there.