Typically viewed as one of the more conservative slabs of land bordering California's coast, San Diego used to have a comparatively bad track-record when it came to tolerance and civil rights. But today, the breezy town with a right-wing bent showed more of its human side when Mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican, took the witness stand of behalf of the couples suing to overturn Prop 8, the state's bigoted, albeit voter-approved, gay marriage ban.

"I had been prejudiced," Sanders testified. "I was saying one group of people did not deserve the same respect, did not deserve the same symbolism of marriage, and I was saying their marriages were less important than those of heterosexuals."

Sanders change of heart and mind occurred a few years ago after his daughter came out of the closet as a lesbian. If you recall, Saunders held a press conference to recant his evils ways, if you will, then broke down in tears. (It's really quite touching. Check it out.)

Anyway, San Francisco city attorney (and quite possible our next mayor) Dennis Herrera, upon questioning Sanders on direct examination, asked Sanders why he choked up on vidceo.

"I felt I came very close to making a bad decision," Sanders explained. "I came very close to showing the prejudice I obviously had toward my daughter to my staff and to the people of San Diego."

He went on to point out that "[i]f government tolerates discrimination against anyone, it is very easy for citizens to do the same thing."