Oh, the grinding and gnashing of teeth, and the chewing of sour grapes over the defeat of state Sen. Roy McDonald by the Times Union editorial writers, is indeed cause for great joy and jubilation by an electorate that staunchly defends traditional moral values.
The unabashed support and endorsement of (allegedly) conservative McDonald by the very liberal Times Union in his re-election bid was based on his vote for same-sex marriage, and now in his defeat, it is lamented that "life isn't fair."
No, it is not about fairness, but about making choices and decisions, and then accepting the consequences of a decision. McDonald is not to be praised for his "act of courage," but should be admonished for using his poorly formed conscience in making a personal preference decision instead of executing his responsibility as an elected representative.
If McDonald wanted to do the "right thing," he would have worked with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to put the issue of same-sex marriage on a statewide ballot instead of resorting to legislative activism. Of course, this approach would not suit the gay agenda, since the issue has been defeated in every state that put it to the voters.
The arrogance of McDonald in his vote and his coarse, vulgar comments were not taken lightly by his constituents who uphold the sanctity, and normalcy of marriage between a man and woman. The fact is, there continues to exist a silent majority that still adheres to old-fashioned notions like morality, virtue, decency, values, integrity, standards and Godliness. They take great offense when unfairly portrayed as hateful or intolerant to the "enlightened" views of the radical progressives who attempt to promote perversion, immorality and unnatural proclivities as a "right" and "societal benefit."
If one disagrees with the activists, the cries of discrimination and extremism and homophobia fill the air to silence the critics, but they will not be silenced in the voting booth.
In spite of what appears to be a societal shift from Christian–Judeo based traditional values, there is a faithful remnant of people who inherently know right from wrong, and truth from dishonesty. Their voices will continue to grow and resonate for as long as our elected representatives fail to hear and understand the immutable truth that guides our lives.
John E. Olenik lives in Ballston Spa. His email address is irmjohn@aol.com.