Signs and Wonders: Ironic nuptials on parade

Unleashing the furies. A homosexual couple got married yesterday on a float in the Rose Bowl Parade. The major networks covering the event chose not to air the ceremony, in part to deflect threats of a boycott of the telecast. But the faux marriage took place nonetheless. Ironically, the ceremony took place on a float sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. No group is more responsible for the spread of AIDS, especially in the early days of the epidemic, than homosexuals. According to Randy Shilts and his groundbreaking book And The Band Played On, the AIDS pandemic owes at least part of its energy to the homosexual activism and behavior of the 1970s and 80s. So far, the death toll is 25 million and counting.

One toke over the line. Jan. 1 was the first day you could buy marijuana legally in Colorado. Lines at some shops stretched out the door and onto freezing and snow-covered sidewalks. Colorado officials estimate sales of cannabis in the state will top $500 million this year, generating $67 million in tax receipts. Open, public consumption of marijuana will still be illegal, though one has to wonder how long that restriction will remain in place.

Corruption common. An organization called Transparency International ranks the most corrupt countries in the world, and the winners of this dubious prize are Somalia, North Korea, and Afghanistan. But several other countries come close, and two-thirds of the countries in the world scored less than 50 on the organization’s 100-point scale. One of the lessons of this list: Living in a country such as the United States, which is relatively transparent and relatively corruption-free, is not the norm on Planet Earth. It is a condition that did not come about by accident and which could easily come to an end if not nurtured.