WASHINGTON — Life moves fast these days, and so does the law.

In the civil rights era, the Supreme Court waited decades to weigh in on interracial marriage. On Friday, by contrast, the court did not hesitate to jump into the middle of one of the most important social controversies of the day, agreeing to hear two cases on same-sex marriage.

Read more in The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/us/supreme-court-enters-same-sex-fray-with-uncharacteristic-speed.html?hp