Diamonds, Engagement Rings & Diamond Jewelry in popular culture

Florida Governor Charlie Crist married a woman, Carole Rome, last Friday.  This was legal and all hunky-dory, since they are a heterosexual couple and live in Florida.  The Governor campaigned extensively for John McCain and was on the shortlist to be the running mate of the GOP Presidential candidate.  All parties involved vehemently oppose gay marriage, so it was lucky for Crist and Rome that they are different sexes.   Had Rome been born a man, the exchange of wedding rings would have most definitely been problematic, and certainly not recognized by the state of Florida.

Couldn't Get Married If They Wanted To.

Although they clearly follow the Christian Bible and, therefore, feel that gay marriage is wrong, the commandment about adultery must not apply to them for some reason.  Rome was still married to her obscenely wealthy first husband when she and Crist began their relationship.   She is also obscenely wealthy in her own right as President of Franco American Novelty Co., her family’s Halloween costume company.  This is another great stroke of luck for the First Couple of Florida, because, as Governor, Crist earns only $132, 931 each year.  After 10 months of dating, not to mention one divorce, Carole Rome received a sapphire engagement ring from Charlie Crist. 

The wedding had such B-list attendees as former Florida Governor Bob Martinez, former Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller and Geraldo Rivera.  Jill Stempel, New York Bureau Chief of World Entertainment News Network, told the St. Petersburg Times that there would not be much media presence: “…just because the celebrity factor is not there”.  Evidently, Geraldo can’t draw a crowd like he used to in the 80s.  Maybe it was the “Al Capone’s Vault” fiasco. 

Regardless, the heteros celebrated their nuptials inside while a peaceful protest took place outside.  Impact Florida, a gay rights group, had said that it would demonstrate “peacefully in pink” (Miami Herald) because of the Crist-supported ban on same-sex marriage in that state.   The group wore t-shirts that read “Congratulations, Governor Crist.  When can I get married?”  Had they kicked up more of a fuss, maybe more people would have cared about the wedding going on inside the church.