A day of infamy

The understated headline on an AP dispatch announcing the news unwittingly told it all: "Hawaii Judge OKs Gay Marriage." And just like that, 6,000 years of human history, the theology of most major religions, and the entire American legal understanding of marriage (including that of President Clinton) was swept away. For those who didn't realize judges could "OK" such things, the ruling must have come as a shock. Hawaii Judge Kevin S.C. Chang dropped his 46-page legal bombshell Dec. 3, just four days before the state's other "day that will live in infamy," Pearl Harbor Day. Such decisions, which are utterly devoid of legal or constitutional rationale, further fuel the debate over judicial tyranny--raised by Chuck Colson, among distinguished others, in November's First Things (see "One nation, over God," in the Nov. 2 WORLD). The conservatives who have dismissed this debate as "irresponsible" are laying the blame at the wrong feet. Serious-minded Christians didn't start this one. Some parties to this case--notably the Family Research Council--are suggesting the Hawaii attorney general's office took a dive. But the state lawyers made enough of an argument for a non-activist judge to rule right, and no amount of evidence would have swayed an activist judge off his course. Mr. Chang's activist social engineering is nowhere more evident than in his charge that state officials "failed to establish a causal link between allowing same-sex marriage and adverse effects upon the optimal development of children." Of course they didn't. Empirical evidence to "establish a causal link" doesn't yet exist. That's because homosexual "marriage" is not permitted anywhere and homosexuals cannot legally adopt children. But leave it to Judge Chang to turn Hawaii into his little laboratory; in a decade or two, sufficient data should be in. Is it impertinent to wonder how many wrecked lives will constitute a "causal link"? To his credit, liberal evangelical activist Ron Sider has it exactly right: "Judge Chang has arbitrarily and callously rewritten history and dismantled one of the pillars of all societies for the sake of political expediency. It represents the pinnacle of judicial arrogance, as well as short-sightedness." Let this be the beginning of all Christians working together to throw off this wicked judicial tyranny.

The cabinet shuffle

Just days after helping to defeat U.N. Secretary General Boutros-Boutros Ghali's bid for a second term, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Madeleine Albright Dec. 5 was named Secretary of State for President Clinton's second term. The daughter of a Czechoslovakian diplomat, Ms. Albright if confirmed by the Senate would become the first woman to hold America's top diplomatic post. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jesse Helms called her "a tough and courageous lady." Also filling key vacancies: National Security Adviser Anthony Lake will assume the helm of the CIA and former Sen. William Cohen of Maine, a liberal Republican, will become Secretary of Defense.

So much to talk about

President Clinton returned to Washington from his 12-day Asia trip Nov. 27 hoarse and tired, but with enough energy to pardon Carl the national Thanksgiving turkey, donate him to a zoo, and head to Camp David to try to rest his strained voice box. The throat pain persisted and doctors Dec. 4 performed a 20-minute fiber-optic examination of the presidential vocal cords; Mr. Clinton was told, in the words of spokesman Mike McCurry, "no more yak." That's exactly the recommendation given White House consultant James Carville who two weekends ago on NBC's Meet the Press announced he was "going after" Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr. By Dec. 5, Mr. Carville appeared to be backing off. Republicans who believe they are hot on the trail of White House scandal moved full speed ahead. After Attorney General Janet Reno's third refusal the day after Thanksgiving to turn over to an independent prosecutor the probe of Democratic campaign-finance irregularities, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said her inaction is "further proof" of the need for congressional hearings. The Wall Street Journal Dec. 2 revealed evidence that the president's previously stated "social" relationship with Indonesian financier Mochtar Riady, whose business interests have contributed more than $1 million to the Democratic Party, was more business than pleasure. Spokesman McCurry acknowledged the truth of the Journal story, which reported that Mr. Riady sent a three-page letter March 9, 1993, to Mr. Clinton suggesting he renew most-favored-nation trade status with China, meet with Indonesian President Suharto, and normalize relations with Vietnam. Signed, sealed, delivered. Mr. McCurry denied that Mr. Riady exerted "disproportionate influence," characterized the letter as a "straightforward policy letter," and said the White House would accede to GOP demands to release the 1993 letter but didn't say when. Raising questions about the independence of the Justice Department investigation is the fact that the head of the agency's criminal division is John C. Keeney, the father of the lawyer who is representing former Commerce Department official and Democratic fundraiser John Huang. Mr. Huang is at the center of the Riady/Indonesia controversy. Mr. Keeney has stepped aside from the probe and turned the case over to 30-year career bureaucrat Mark Richard. Meanwhile, Mr. Keeney is staying on the Justice Department investigation into the Immigration and Naturalization Service's Citizenship USA program. On Dec. 4, Mr. Keeney rejected a Republican congressman's demand that that investigation be turned over to an independent counsel. At issue is the three-fold increase in the number of immigrants granted permanent citizenship between Oct. 1, 1995, and Sept. 30, 1996, without criminal background checks. Republicans charge the program hurried along citizenship proceedings to boost the number of Democratic voters. The day before Mr. Keeney's letter, Dec. 3, the INS stopped the approval of citizenship applications without FBI background checks. Rep. William Zeliff (R-N.H.), who sought the independent probe, said the INS reversal was like "a robber offering to give the money back when caught."

Inflated inflation

A bipartisan commission's recommendation that the government's official index of inflation, the Consumer Price Index, be trimmed is winning the praise of Republicans and Democrats--but not the special interests whose entitlement program increases are based on the CPI. The panel Dec. 4 recommended reducing the CPI by 1.1 percentage points. In practical terms that would mean an approximate $8 a month smaller increase for the average Social Security recipient, but the savings to taxpayers would be in the billions.

Go figure

Negating the will of California voters, at least temporarily, a federal judge Nov. 27 blocked enforcement of the state's newly passed law ending race and sex discrimination in public employment and education. Using what critics derided as tortured logic, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson ruled there is a "strong probability" that Proposition 209 violates the "equal protection" clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. His reasoning: Because the measure denies preferences for women and racial minorities, it would require members of those groups to "surmount a higher political hurdle" than other groups, such as veterans and the disabled, which can still be given preferences. California Gov. Pete Wilson called Judge Henderson's ruling "an affront to common sense." Meanwhile, the man who oversaw President Clinton's muted "mend it, don't end it" policy on affirmative action announced his resignation Dec. 5. Associate Attorney General John Schmidt will step down next month.

Man without God

Five teenagers--three girls and two boys--were accused Thanksgiving Day in the Florida beating deaths of the parents of one of the teenage girls. Investigators believe the five were members of a "vampire cult" based on a best-selling role-playing game. Police say the teens drank their own blood and that of mutilated animals. In New York City, a mother threw her three children and herself from a 15-story building Nov. 24. Two of the children survived. A 28-year-old Miami man was charged with murder after throwing his two-year-old son into a canal. The man then tried to commit suicide but was unsuccessful.

The bitter end

John Salvi, convicted last year of murdering two receptionists at Boston-area abortion clinics, was found dead in his cell Nov. 29. Prison officials termed the death a suicide, but Mr. Salvi's attorney said the evidence raised the possibility of murder. In Florida, the double-murder conviction and death sentence of Paul Hill was upheld by the state Supreme Court. Two years ago, Mr. Hill shot and killed an abortionist and another man outside an abortion clinic in Pensacola. He claimed the killings were justifiable homicides.

Court reports

O.J. Simpson, who chose not to testify last year at his murder trial, had no choice this time. In the "wrongful death" lawsuit by the families of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, Mr. Simpson faced hard questioning; he said he could not account for the blood--his own and that of the two victims--found in his Ford Bronco. He also could not explain the discrepancies between what he told police just after the killings and what he testified to under oath during his three days on the witness stand. In a surprise move, Mr. Simpson's lawyer opted to postpone defense questioning until mid-December. In Arkansas, Whitewater felons Susan McDougal and Jim Guy Tucker appealed their fraud and conspiracy convictions. Mrs. McDougal, still jailed for contempt for refusing to answer grand jury questions about President Clinton's videotaped testimony at her trial, said her defense had been hampered by improper introduction of evidence. Mr. Tucker, the former governor of Arkansas, claimed his trial was tainted by a biased juror.

One in, one out

A recount gave Rep. Linda Smith (R-Wash.) an 887-vote margin of victory in her race for reelection. Mrs. Smith, a conservative popular with pro-family groups, earlier had been declared the loser. Feisty California Rep. Bob Dornan officially asked Dec. 2 for a recount in his race. Mr. Dornan, known for his strong pro-life and pro-defense stands, has alleged voter fraud. The certified tally put him 984 votes behind Democrat Loretta Sanchez.

Census stats

The family isn't what it used to be, but its metamorphosis appears to be slowing somewhat, according to a study released Nov. 26 by the Census Bureau. In the 1970s and 80s, the shift from married couples with children to one-parent families and people living alone was rapid. That change appears to have plateaued over the past five years. Married couples with children under 18 now make up 25 percent of American households, the same percentage as in 1990. Another Census report issued Dec. 4 showed that the number of unmarried couples living together has nearly doubled over the last decade, rising to 3.7 million. Also in the report: The number of children living with their grandparents has risen to four million, or six percent of all children.

Don't recount on it

Social unrest continued in Serbia, where the Socialist Party, headed by President Slobodan Milosevic, refused to recognize the results of elections in which it suffered heavy losses. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated daily in the streets of Belgrade. Protesters are asking the country's Supreme Court to uphold the election results. At the Hague, the first sentence was handed down by the Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal. A Croat soldier was sentenced Nov. 29 to 10 years for his role in the massacre of 1,200 Muslims.

Terror strikes

Some passengers screamed, others prayed as a hijacked and out-of-fuel Ethiopian jetliner crashed Nov. 23 in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, killing 125, including the hijackers. Fifty people survived the crash, including the pilot. The identity and motives of the hijackers, who appeared to be either Ethiopian or Somali, remained a mystery. They had demanded the plane take them to Australia. In Paris, a Dec. 3 explosion in a rush-hour commuter train left two people dead and seven critically wounded. Though no terrorist group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack, Prime Minister Alain Juppe said it shared the marks of previous bombings by supporters of the Algerian Armed Islamic Group.

At-home abortion

A Canadian woman has admitted trying to kill her son, but her attorney says it wasn't a crime. Earlier this year, Brenda Drummond fired a pellet rifle into her womb, hoping to cause her soon-to-be-born child to miscarry. He later was born but has a pellet in his brain and has suffered serious permanent damage. Authorities have charged Ms. Drummond with attempted murder, but her attorney argued Nov. 27 before an Ontario judge that the charge should be dropped. "Yes, she was attempting to kill the fetus," he reasoned, but "that is not an offense under Canadian law." Canada allows abortion-on-demand up to full term. The judge is expected to issue a decision in a few weeks.

Free at last

In North Korea, an American held on suspicion of spying for South Korea was set free Nov. 27, after Rep. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) negotiated his release. Evan Carl Hunziker had claimed he was on a missionary journey when arrested Aug. 24.

The final frontier

NASA launched a spacecraft on a 310 million mile journey to Mars, sending along a six-wheeled interplanetary rover that scientists hope will roam the frigid Martian landscape in search of rocks. If all goes well, the Mars Pathfinder should reach its destination in about eight months. Another NASA spacecraft, Clementine, uncovered evidence of ice on Earth's moon, dispelling long-held scientific notions that the moon is bone dry. The discovery is significant, scientists say, because it increases the chances that humans might be able to live on the moon's surface. Astronauts flying the Space Shuttle Columbia successfully snagged a malfunctioning satellite Nov. 25, but ran into problems three days later when trying to go out for a spacewalk: They couldn't get the hatch open. The spacewalk was canceled.