Ruling shows respect to same-sex marriage

The United States Supreme Court's recent ruling legitimizing same-sex marriage has sparked debates across the world. Some are calling it the most important US court verdict since the abrogation of the ban on interracial marriage in 1967, while others say the decision could upset the traditional outlook on family and compromise the basic values enshrined in the US Constitution.

A typical holder of the latter view is US Chief Justice John Roberts, who believes the ruling goes beyond the power vested in the judges, because it means only a few people (the judges) determine what American people as a whole can do. Such an argument is a kind of emotional ventilation.

The fact is that, the US Constitution endows the Supreme Court with the power of "judicial review", which means it can rule whether legislation passed by the US Congress is valid or invalid. And it is indeed empowered to make or amend laws.