I voted early Tuesday and then found myself driving to the Iowa Supreme Court. I wasn't sure why. The court wasn't even in session. But on a day when three justices were in danger of being voted out because of their ruling on same-sex marriage, I felt compelled to be in the place where that monumental decision came down 19 months ago.
The unanimous Varnum v. Brien decision said: "We have a constitutional duty to ensure equal protection of the law.... If gay and lesbian people must submit to different treatment without an exceedingly persuasive justification, they are deprived of the benefits of the principle of equal protection upon which the rule of law is founded." Now, in a subversion of the judicial retention vote, a band of misguided activists looks to have punished the justices for it.
A court attendant asked if he could help me find something. But what I'd gone looking for was reassurance - that, come today, the court could continue its business without worrying about voter backlashes; that justices who have done their jobs wouldn't lose them for upholding the constitution.
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Complete article at Des Moines Register : http://bit.ly/bjWlvp
