Oh, I know they're not on the same scale at all. But I genuinely believe a society developed to the point that ours is cannot permanently regress. A few decades, sure - but eventually we're going to catch up to the continuuum (Scandinavian countries have set a pretty good bar, I think). That's why I find certain aspects of this election so encouraging - not Prop 8 and its sister discrimination, obviously, but the upholding of reproductive rights, the embrace of Obama by a majority of white as well as minority voters, the negative reaction of moderates to Palin/McCain who jumped the conservative ship. I believe we will swing back to center on social issues, in part because we must adopt more moderate fiscal policies.

Or maybe that's just what I tell myself so I can sleep at night.