Last night I attended the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony and it was nothing short of fabulous!  The St. Louis Symphony is one of the great symphonies in America and every bit of it's excellence was on display in this fantastic rendition of the brilliant 9th Symphony.

If you like Beethoven or if you like the 9th in particular I would encourage you to listen this evening to a live broadcast of this evening's performance which includes 4 incredible soloists and a magnificent and talented choir of well over a hundred voices.  Last night they were outstanding and my guess is, if anything, they will be even better tonight.

Tonight (Saturday evening May 9) you can listen to this live performance at 8 p.m. Central time on the internet to the St. Louis Symphony.  You will not be disappointed. 

The symphony will be broadcasting from Powell Symphony Hall one block north of the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis.

You can tune in to the broadcast on KFUO 99.1 FM in St. Louis or go here on the internet:

http://www.classic99.com/listennow.htm

The station is broadcasting all day today nothing but the SLSO and they will also be broadcasting the Conductor's pre-concert lecture prior to the performance.  So, pour yourself a glass of wine, turn up your speakers and... enjoy friends!

The Governor of Maine issued a somewhat lengthy statement* today upon signing Marriage Equality into law in the great state of Maine.  But near the end, in two short paragraphs, the statement lays out everything anyone really ever needs to know about this issue in very simple, straightforward language that IMHO cannot really be disputed in any legitimate way.

Here they are:

"This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs. It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of Church and State," Governor Baldacci said.

"It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine's civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government."

My suggestion, for what it's worth, is that everyone in favor of marriage equality from now on simply limit everything they have to say to these simple points because these points are what it's all really about.  We can no longer allow the morons and simpletons and bigots to frame and characterize the debate about marriage equality in any other terms because all other issues are quite literally beside the point. 

Regardless of side issues (many of which are compelling and important), regardless of straw men that the haters might bring up these are the two points on which the argument will or will not be won.  My own opinion is that when put this way, it is difficult for any decent American to oppose and where the debate should have been all along.  This is the way the issue needs to be framed in every instance.  Whenever the opposition brings up something else simply redirect the debate back to the real issue which is equality before the law and the separation of church and state.  It really is that simple.

This is not a religious issue it is a civil matter.  This is not an issue about the "sanctitiy" of marriage but the sanctity of the principle and practice of equality before the law in the United States.  The Governor's statement, so succinct and clear, is an opportunity for all those who count themselves as patriots and as people committed to the principles and ideals of liberty and equality in the United States to join together and insist that this debate, from this day forward, be focused on these points and nothing else.

PS: Hats off to the legislators of Maine who had the guts and courage and vision to act without being forced to do so by the courts and by so doing, making history in a very positive and patriotic manner.

*You can find the full statement here:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/05/governor_signs_ld_1020_an_act_to_end_discriminatio.php