To the Point

Is America Ready for Same-Sex Marriage?

Belgium is about to join the Netherlands in recognizing same-sex marriage, and two provinces of Canada have already issued marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. With the US Supreme Court having declared gay sex protected by the Constitution, the issue is being raised in state courts all over the nation. Massachusetts may rule as soon as this week on complaints that denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates their right to equal protection. All that has produced a massive backlash, and last week, President Bush restated his opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Is marriage a civil or religions institution? Is it about love or having babies? Will it get political mileage for Democrats or Republicans? We hear from advocates and opponents, syndicated columnist James Pinkerton and David Corn of The Nation. Making News: Peacekeepers Arrive in Liberia West African peacekeepers finally arrived in Liberia today. Several hundred people gathered to meet the peacekeepers at the airport outside the capital of Monrovia. Stephan Faris, who is in Monrovia for Time Magazine, reports on the reaction from a hungry and fearful capital, the efforts of government troops to secure the port, and expectations that President Charles Taylor will soon leave the beleaguered nation. Reporter's Notebook: Iran Nearing Ability to Build Nuclear Bomb No weapons of mass destruction have turned up yet in Iraq, but North Korea has made credible threats to build nuclear weapons, and France warns that Iran is -surprisingly close- to having the bomb. The Los Angeles Times spent three months investigating Iran-s nuclear capabilities. Douglas Frantz, who wrote today-s lead story for the Times, says that Iran, with a little help from Russia and North Korea, is a lot closer that Iraq ever was.