Hey, it really could be worse

While many are celebrating the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, other Americans believe it’s the beginning of the end. Or at least another big step in the wrong direction.

For our part, we’re reminded that most of the time, things are rarely as good or as bad as they initially seem.

For instance, citizens outraged at what they consider desecration of holy matrimony at the hands of the High Court might now claim a victory on the abortion front. The more society accepts same-sex marriage, the argument goes, fewer unhappy or incompatible couplings leading to unwanted births will occur. But even if the number of abortions doesn’t drop as an indirect result of same-sex marriage and widespread acceptance, it’s logical to believe same-sex couples will likely be adopting from many of the unwanted pregnancies that otherwise would have led to abortion. If preserving life at any cost is the endgame, then isn’t same-sex marriage a small price to pay for saving the lives of unwanted fetuses?

The same court that backed a key component of President Obama’s health care plan dealt him and the Environmental Protection Agency a blow just one week later. The court ruled that the EPA had interpreted the Clean Air Act unreasonably, leading to unnecessary costs for consumers and industry compared to the amount of good being accomplished in regulating air pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

“EPA’s decision that it is ‘appropriate’ to achieve $4 million to $6 million in health benefits at a cost of $9.6 billion is not reasonable, imposes great expenses on consumers, and threatens to put covered electric utilities out of business,” lawyers for 23 states successfully argued in Supreme Court briefs.

The decision does not mean that Americans will drop dead by the thousands because power plants are unshackled and can do what they wish. Nor does the ruling mean the end of regulation and the beginning of almost free power at work and at home. Despite the shouts of victory and the gasps of defeat after the decision, we know that the news won’t be quite as good as the victorious hope, nor as bad as the defeated fear.

And that’s why balance is not only the best you should hope for, but a pretty darn good goal for us all.