{The following is a political rant. Take that for what it’s worth.}
Let me just state, for the record, that I am absolutely, unequivocally, 100 percent FOR the legalization of gay marriage. Marriage is a private thing between two people and, if they want to honor their love through ritual and legal union, that should absolutely be their right no matter what their choice of sexual orientation.
I also find this whole “we need to protect the family” idea to be a crock of crapola when it comes to this debate. And statements like this further reinforce my beliefs that this concept is monumentally flawed simply because of the gross oversimplification inherent in the concept.
“Marriage between one man and one woman does a better job protecting children better than any other institution humankind has devised,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. “As such, marriage as an institution should be protected, not redefined.”
What an incredibly stupid thing to say. Why you ask? Well, because the single most devastating and destructive force when it comes to children and family is divorce. Period. There’s no contest and no question. But, I don’t hear anyone clamouring to outlaw divorces.
Oh, and if you want to really protect children, how about restricting conception? I mean, you have to pass a test to drive, any moron can be a parent.
And while we’re on the subject, how about increasing aid to impoverished children, providing daycare services for families who need it, increasing healthcare for children and familes below the poverty line, seriously prosecuting deadbeat dads and on and on and on?
ANY of the aforementioned ideas would have a far greater and more lasting impact on the protection of children than the banning of gay marriage, which has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with anything other than the belief that gays are going to hell. In fact, I’d have more respect for conservatives who rail against gays if they just came out and said, “We think they are going to burn in hell and we don’t want them to have the same rights as the rest of us because they don’t deserve them.”
I’d completely and utterly disagree, but at least I’d give them credit for having the nuts to stand up and tell the truth instead of trying to ply us with factual inaccuracies and bullshit sound bite solutions.