On one hand there was sadness in Maryland. The Maryland Court of Appeals upheld the states' ban on same sex marriage. It was a 4-3 ruling. Judge Irma S. Raker wrote a separate dissent.
At a news conference this afternoon on the steps of Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church, plaintiff Lisa Polyak said: "This is not our best day. This is certainly not the day we were hoping for." Choking back tears, she said she worried about how she would explain the court's decision to her two daughters, ages 8 and 11.
On the other hand, today was more, much more. Because today was the day Maryland threw out the old and brought in the new. Martin O'Malley was sworn in as the state's 61st governor yesterday with a 19-gun salute. He promised "a new day in Maryland" marked by bipartisan respect and a fresh resolve to improve the lives of state residents.
"For too long in the capitals of our nation and our states, we've acted as if our people have somehow lost the capacity to sacrifice and to make tough choices, but, my friends, to govern is to choose," O'Malley said from a podium outside the historic State House.
"In our Maryland, in our one Maryland, progress is always possible. And together we can make real progress, with respect for one another, with truth about ourselves, and the problems that we face, and faith in our ideals as a people."
Gov. Martin O'Malley rejoined with his former band O'Malley's March at his inaugural ball Wednesday night. They provided entertainment to a crowd of about 8,000.
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