When you're dealing with an in-law violation, I think the first line of defense is for the blood relation to have a serious talk.

I can't imagine anything that would signal more clearly that life goes on and joy can follow tragedy than your having a much wanted child.

Anyone who marries gets no guarantee that their partner, no matter what they vow, will always keep that promise.

When you expand the definition of marriage beyond one man and one woman, society can expect other consenting adults in other configurations to say that their choices deserve recognition.

When people are really drunk they have a propensity to harm themselves and others - they fall off buildings, they drive into other cars.

I do feel haunted by some of the letters and the suffering people have endured. But I keep in mind that the people who write to me know that I am a journalist and an on-line advice columnist, not a social service professional.

I'm not suffering from some division of personality.