During the last couple of days, I frequently peeked in on the LGBT news blogs and the CBS and SFGate Websites. A happy smile frequently crossed my face as I gazed at footage and pictures of radiant couples up and down California having their relationships receive an important legal and social stamp of approval.

My mind flashed back to the public razzing Mayor Gavin Newsom received from prominent Democrats for the Winter Of Love allegedly costing the party of donkeys the White House in 2004. Senator Dianne Feinstein was one such prominent critic. In the news coverage I’ve glanced at, not a peep has been heard from her office. Probably the waters of San Francisco Bay would have to stay parted for a week before she’d publicly say “You know, I acted like a jerk and I apologize. Let’s get as many gay and lesbian couples married as possible in California to show the world does not end because marriage equality exists.”

My greater annoyance, though, is with the government clerks who refuse to facilitate couplings of gays and lesbians because of “conflicts with their religious beliefs.” The religious fundies love screeching about the alleged slippery slope created by marriage equality. Well, let’s ask about possible consequences of letting these clerks’ objections stand. Will strongly Christian government clerks now refuse to serve Jews because, hey, they’re the folks who let Christ get crucified? Will somebody who kills non-believers have an instant get out of jail free card because allowing infidels to share one’s space conflicts with that person’s religious beliefs? Will atheists now have stronger legal grounds to take references to God out of American civil society since those references conflicts with their belief in the non-existence of God?

I’ve already seen the countries these religiously-oriented civil servants ultimately have in mind. They’re called Iran and pre-peace agreement Northern Ireland.