John Kerry on evolving marriage views

Sen John Kerry, in the Boston Globe:

Seeing is believing. Many of us who once believed civil unions were sufficient to protect legal rights because we thought of marriage as a religious sacrament between a man and a woman, have seen that no church has been forced to do anything that contradicts its teachings. But when two committed people apply for a Massachusetts marriage license, they are equal whether they are gay or straight. It’s not about a word - it’s about equality under the law.

Last March, when the Boston Globe asked if I supported marriage equality I answered yes. But in light of the increased discussion after passage of New York’s law, more is required than a simple “yes.’’ We cannot afford to be imprisoned by politics that say your views are not allowed to grow as you gain knowledge and experience. ...

We still have miles to travel. People have to make up their own minds in their own time. But when we grant a right to some citizens but deny it to others, we create a second, unequal class. The America we aspire to doesn’t have any second class citizens.
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Is this a journey for all of us? Yes - and appropriately so, because it’s a journey for our country. And although it sometimes takes too long, America always ends up on the right side of history.

We can hope that more politicians will evolve. Although the way things are looking in DC, devolve appears the more appropriate term.