10, 18 and 21

Trey Smith

For social conservatives, these must be maddening times. While they desperately want to hold on to the "old ways," US society, as a whole, gradually is growing more progressive. This goes a long way toward explaining why conservatives are becoming more shrill -- they realize they are losing ground and, within another generation or two, they will be a distinct minority.

Last week Rhode Island became the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriage. While this figure only represents one-fifth of the states, the number leaning this direction continues to grow. There is a good chance that Delaware will follow suit in the next few weeks. Before we know it, the number will swell to one-third and then one-half. In time, it won't be that big of an issue at all...except in the minority of states still ruled by social conservatives.

Also last week, Maryland became the 18th state to repeal the death penalty. That now means that more than one-third of the states have decided that capital punishment is not the way to go, even for the most serious crimes. Instead of the state murdering people, the worst sentence will now be life in prison without the possibility of parole. We will soon join the rest of the modern world in outlawing the death penalty.

Maryland also became the 21st state to legalize medical marijuana. When you combine this number with the two states that simply have legalized pot outright -- Colorado and Washington -- we are almost up to fifty percent. It is too bad that the federal government remains behind the times, but the day is coming when they will be forced to change their tune.

There remain many vexing problems facing our society, but in terms of social issue, we seem to be headed in a progressive direction. Yeah!