Social Issues

The Conservative Political Action Conference once again took up the subject of same-sex marriage last week, with one big change to the political landscape: this time the discussion took place under the shadow of Obergefell v. Hodges. “Dearly Beloved: A Conversation on Religious Liberty and Marriage in America” presented differing perspectives on the issue of religious freedom and gay rights, and during the discussion, one panelist revealed the particular quandary he faced in light of the freedoms lost and freedoms gained with the decision.

I’ve been blogging a lot here about the white working class and its travails, with reference to Donald Trump’s candidacy. I’ve generally taken the line that however wrong they might be to vote for Trump, and to think that he will do anything for them, their alienation and their instincts ought to be at least understandable, given how things have gone for them, in general, in this country over the last generation.

Everyone assumed it would be the threat (or the reality) of international terrorism that would ultimately break Europe’s resolve when it came to goodwill towards Mid-East refugees.

Indeed, we remember vividly when the first reports of a “Kalashnikov assault” on cafes in the French capital hit social media on that fateful Friday in November.

“That’s it,” we assumed, for Europe’s experiment with an open-door migrant policy.

Submitted by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog,

“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.”

 

– Groucho Marx

A new survey by the NSPCC shows that the number of reported child sex abuse cases in Britain has risen by over 30 percent in the last year. A spokesman said that high-profile cases had “played a contributory factor” in encouraging people to come forward.