In a sequel to John F. Kennedy’s “Profiles in Courage,” the Iowa justices, dismissed for their equal-protection of the law ruling on same-gender marriage, could be given pages of honor in such a book. They did the right thing within the law and were sacked by the holier-than-thou that put themselves above the law. 

The self-centered, vengeful no voters, like Bob Vander Plaats, are their own heroes atop pedestals of their imagination, looking down on all the lesser; thus these three Iowa Justices. 

To wit, John Boehner revealed himself to be his own hero, and for doing no more than common folks do every day, every year in every minute.  Sobbing in self pity and admiration, Boehner (sob-sob) gave a born in a tavern twist to the old log-cabin yarn. In Boehner’s up from poverty epic (sob, poor but great): I worked in my father’s tavern (sob-sob), worked all sorts of dirty jobs (sob, but none of ‘em on reality TV, sob), and oh my, I worked my way through school (sob, only guy to ever do that).

Boehner, Vander Plaats and all of the self-appointed valiant could find reason to look down on heroes Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and JFK; all born into silver-spoon-in-the-mouth privilege.  Meanwhile in Iowa, the Constitution does not mean what an independent judiciary says it does, it means what Bob Vander Plaats says it means.