Horrified at Northern Iowa right now

mason city is comparing Obama to Hitler – on a billboard.  See here for the local story, and here for the coverage in the Atlantic.

This is devastating to me on two levels:

1) That this would happen at all – you’d think that somewhere along the process of making a billboard somebody would have realized that this is an inappropriate comparison (to say the least).

2) Deep disappointment that there are apparently enough people in the area that feel this way to support such an awful thing.

Update: the sign was taken down today.  I remain angry, however.

Iowa allows same-sex marriage!!!

Yaaay!  Of course it’s being challenged, but hurrah for the Iowa Supreme Court – I’m not done reading the opinion, but so far, I LIKE.

Here is the opinion.

Here is the Des Moines Register Article.

Here is an awesome list of why gay marriage is totally wrong (not written by me).

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a ferret has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.