See if you can guess who made this terrific speech, and when:
"For someone of my generation...this is a very difficult issue. But I have learned over 40 years in public life that society evolves, and that the concept of human rights evolves often more quickly than some of us might have predicted — and sometimes even in ways that make some people uncomfortable. But at the end of the day, we have to live up to our responsibilities. And none of these are more essential than protecting the Constitution and the fundamental rights it guarantees."
Who was the elected official? Was it, say, Governor Dan Malloy of Connecticut — who today barred his state employees from traveling to Indiana because of Hoosier State Republicans' new hate law?
Nope. As much as we applaud Governor Malloy for his travel ban, it was former Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada — speaking about marriage equality in 2003! Just insert "born and brought up in the Catholic rural Quebec of my youth" after the word "generation" — and "all Canadians" after "guarantees" — and you have the whole quote.
That's 12 years ago, folks. Marriage equality went national in Canada in 2005, and we haven't noticed the country blowing up yet. So Indiana's intolerant (and apparently befuddled) Republican Governor Mike Pence — who looks like one of the Nazis who chased the Von Trapps through the abbey, by the way — might want to take a lesson from a wizened Catholic Quebecker. Change, Governor? Yes, you can.
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