How Do I Love South Orange, Let Me Count the Ways

I love South Orange, N.J.!!!  I've loved it since we first came out here.  I love the people.  I love that our block parties bring together different kinds of people in different lines of work in different types of families.  I love that we have never once been the "gay couple."  We have always just been us.  And now, if it's possible, I love South Orange even more.  South Orange has passed a resolution which endorses the passage of a marriage equality bill in New Jersey.  The resolution is only symbolic, but for those of us who live here, it speaks volumes.  It makes the property taxes almost bearable.

All those horrific stories you've heard about insurance companies?  It turns out they're true!  Dropping an HIV positive teenager.  Dropping someone in the middle of chemo.  Health insurance companies giving bonuses to employees who rescind coverage.  I know, it's not news.  We all know these things happen, right?  But sometimes I think it's important to be reminded of the cost of cost before life.

Six months ago, the Obama administration nominated Tom Perez to head up the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, a division that was gutted, decimated by politics and obsessed with the idea of "reverse discrimination" during W's presidency.  What's the hold up, you might wonder?  Well, the GOP members of the Senate think Mr. Perez might just be very good at and extremely well qualified for his proposed job.

Meanwhile, the perpetually hateful, compulsively misleading and terminally bigoted Family Research Council has planned its annual summit to convene this weekend in Washington, D.C.  Not much of a story there, really.  I am, however, guessing that their motto "Defending Faith, Family & Freedom" really means Defending OUR Faith, OUR Families & OUR Freedom since it's pretty clear that few, if any, Jews will be in attendance at their fantastic, venom filled summit during Rosh Hoshanah.

More tomorrow.