We've heard "This time it's different" before

In the Calif. gay marriage case before the 9th Circuit Court the friends of the gay side had their turn to file briefs of support. There were lots of them. Some of who filed and what they wrote:

Professional organizations, such as the American Psychological Association wrote about how to evaluate research on gays who form families and also about the current state of knowledge of sexual orientation and families. Another related brief discussed the ramifications of discrimination.

Justice Donald B. King and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers wrote the choice isn't between a gay couple raising a child v. a straight couple raising that same child. No one is going to swoop in and take the child away. The choice is between whether the gay couple raises that child under a mark of inferiority.

Howard University School of Law -- this is one of the oldest and most revered of the traditionally black universities. Through the history of discrimination, starting with slaves not allowed to marry because it will destroy social order, we are told, "This time it's different." This time we really do face the downfall of civilization. We've heard it all before.

Legislators from Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts wrote they have not seen any of the predicted dire consequences in their states. The Mass. group also said the marriage rate in the state has remained stable and there has been greater acceptance of gays.

People of faith -- United Church of Christ, Metropolitan Community Churches, Episcopal Church, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Reform Rabbis, Unitarian Universalist Church -- all say they are being discriminated against and their religious liberty is violated because they cannot perform marriage ceremonies.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund wrote that the case that overturned interracial marriage was controversial at the time but now seems obvious. The principles of that case are not confined to race.

Ethnic organizations, such as the Asian American Justice Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense wrote that if the rights of a minority are taken away through a popular vote of the majority, then the rights of any minority may also disappear.

A thank you to all who filed.