In the gay guerilla wars...

Andrew Sullivan can't clock a week without a rant about the equal rights of gays to wed. But to add a datum to an understanding of what "marriage" means for him, consider his treatment of the Terri Schiavo case. He can whale on conservatives. He can declare, "Those of us who have long worried that unleashing religious fundamentalism into the bloodstream of American politics would lead to disaster can only feel that our fears have now come true."

But he has nothing but admiration for Michael Schiavo. No suspicion that Mr. Schiavo may not be suitably qualified as a "husband" when he is living with another woman, mother to two of his children. The actual commitments of a marriage are irrelevant to Andrew. It's all about the using any means and any line of argumentation necessary. Let the courts decide.

Unless your conclusions are better served by leaving the question to those closest to the person:

If limited government means anything, it means leaving decisions like this as close to the person as possible.

Unless leaving the decisions to the closest persons by any moral standard--Terri's parents, who never abandonned their role, wanted to care for her--do not serve your conclusions.

Unless your conclusions are better served by leaving the question to state government:

And if the American principle of federalism means anything, it means that the local state's courts are the only relevant instruments to deal with such a tragedy.

Unless... some other gymnastic line of reasoning serves your interests.