http://www.radixjournal.com/journal/2015/2/10/the-wrong-side-of-the-system

The greatest misfortune for conservatives is their love of the System—even though it always fucks them over.

The latest occurrence is the case of the Alabama chief justice who’s vainly trying to resist a federal court order that his state recognize gay marriage. Roy Moore is showing no signs of backing down, even though several counties in his state are forgoing his defiance and accepting the unions.

This quarrel started when a U.S. District Court Judge struck down Alabama’s constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage in the state as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. This is in spite of the fact that 81% of Alabamians voted for the referendum back in 2006. But the will of the people has no bearing when it comes to the pursuit of equality. Thus, we are getting the obligatory comparisons to the segregation fight of the 1960s, where Alabama also served as the primary battleground.

Conservatives might bristle at this comparison—especially considering gay marriage opposition was a popular opinion only a few years ago and George W. Bush won a second term running on it—but the Left is right in drawing an analogy between the two fights. For one, they’re both fights pitting abstract principles versus the will of the people. Segregation had overwhelming support in the South and very few Whites below the Mason-Dixon Line had any interest in altering it. Gay marriage is still strongly opposed by the vast majority of Southerners and there’s no homegrown, grassroots efforts to legalize it there. But, like integration, same-sex marriage is coming to these states in defiance of popular opinion—all thanks to those villains of conservative lore, unelected judges.

To make the cases even more similar, Justice Moore is appealing to states’ rights to uphold his cause. Knowing history, this is a “Lost Cause” from the start. When it comes to federal power vs. state power, federal power always wins. Especially when it comes to issues pertaining to equality and progress. Moore is a lone voice in the wilderness telling history to stop, but many in his state are willing to accept this imposition and move with history.

As in the case of integration, after a brief period of fighting, the majority of the South will accept it and alter their lives to fit the new system. When integration became law, many moved to the suburbs, while others spent the extra money to enroll their children in private schools. There was displeasure at the new change, but any large-scale resistance ceased to exist by the 1970s in the South. (It was a different story in White ethnic enclaves in the North though.)

This story will once again play out for gay marriage. Most of the defenders of traditional marriage will accept the new order and alter their views to fit the prevailing orthodoxy. This time they won’t even have to make major changes to their lives, just their fundamental beliefs. Considering the reaction by the powers that be in Alabama, that’s already happening.

The fundamental difference between true believer conservatives and moderates is that the moderates don’t care if society reflects their views. They have a private society surrounding them that guards them from change and they’re more concerned with comfort than ideals. The moderates also win out in the end, and that’s why conservatism is liberalism twenty years delayed.

The more important lesson to draw from this how expecting the System to correct itself and support our values is foolhardy. In the end, the System will always take the side of equality and resorts to overturning the will of the people if needed. It’s done it time and time again. You can see this on immigration when President Obama superseded Congress to pass amnesty. All that work done by activists went up in smoke due to the will of one man. It’s laughable to think that the same judges who overturned gay marriage bans will overturn Obama’s action. Do you think they want to be on the “wrong side of history” with Roy Moore?

The imposed triumph of marriage equality should serve as a wake-up call to those who think we can still turn America around. It’s already past saving—it’s time to start something new.