As a rule, I stay away from discussions of most things political in this journal. This is supposed to be about swimsuit shopping and trying to hike -- not about stuff that gets people all riled up. So, today's post is going to be an exception to that.
Here you go:
I am totally supportive of gay marriage.
There it is.
And rather than spend my 2500 characters explaining why I am, and explaining why I think any reasons against it don't hold much water, (which is stuff I'm sure you've read plenty of in plenty other places), I'm instead going to tell you why I'm bothering to post it at all.
When I was a kid, I remember studying various times in history when the government -- supported by the general populace -- took a position that, with hindsight, we've now concluded was PHENOMENALLY wrong. Things like, "slavery is good," "women shouldn't have the right to vote," and "races shouldn't intermarry." And there was always a small minority of people, folks who we now consider to be good and righteous, who risked public humiliation and sometimes their lives, to stand up against the majority and do the right thing.
And I wondered, reading this in my history books, that if some sort of similar turning point happened in my lifetime -- and I was a part of the majority group -- would I have the good sense to recognize it, and the cajones to stand up for the oppressed minority? Would I operate a station on the underground railroad? Would I hide Anne Frank in my attic? Would I march with Blacks in the South for civil rights? Would I stand up against Japanese-American internment camps? Would I welcome the first Black students into my school?
And the more I read about gay marriage, the more I know that this *is* one of those times, and that cheering silently from the comfort of my car when I hear on the radio about San Francisco's continuing course of civil disobedience, isn't quite enough.
We are preventing thousands of citizens from enjoying the purely CIVIL benefits of marriage, because the majority of the public has MORAL or RELIGIOUS objections to it. That's WRONG. And I should say that. So I am.
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4 comments:
You know, if I had any gay couple friends who wanted to marry and saw their struggle and/or despair firsthand, I'd probably feel differently about this issue. But as it is for me now, the idea of same sex people joining in marriage just doesn't sit well with me. It's not how I grew up thinking marriage would be.
Right on ! As a woman with more than half of her good friends are gay or lesbian I applaud you . And your argument is a beautiful one .
Keeping gay marraiges illeagal is simply not in keeping with the " seperation of church and state" . You can't defend an anti stance as a polotician by stating religious reasoning . * high fives* YOU ROCK!
Go, you! Kick the Governator's butt!
In addition to the civil benefits, there's something about for standing up in front of your family and friends and saying "this is the person I choose to spend my life with".
*Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap...* This is me giving you a round of applause. Lisa :-]
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