The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments over same-sex marriage yesterday, with Justice Anthony Kennedy saying that he’s not sure the court has the power to redefine an institution that has been around for “millennia.”
University of Northern Iowa associate political science professor Donna Hoffman says that at its core, it's a tricky statement.
“We have this notion of evolving standards," says Hoffman. "Back in the millennia, men often had multiple wives. That wasn’t hit on in the arguments as much, even though Ruth Bader Ginsberg did point out that women were often subservient in marriage. Yes, we have had this long tradition of marriage, but even in the sense that Kennedy was talking about, it has evolved."
During this hour of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with Hoffman and Tim Hagle, associate professor of political science at the University of Iowa. They also discuss the rioting in Baltimore and the Faith and Freedom Coalition Forum that was hosted at Point of Grace Church in Waukee over the weekend.