See, what I don't get is making it seem like only the gays are at fault here. Again, they have been marginalized, humiliated, cast out, and spit on for years. If we're gonna get into the hate mongering that's at the very, very least a two way street, so it's not much use in discussing because we could do this forever.
Second, I'm fine with the government getting out of the marriage business all together (with regards to the word) and only dealing in civil unions. That's OK, so I don't have much to say on the subject.
But honestly, I can't really see that happening (can you?), so I think the marriage debate from the standpoint of what and what the gov't won't recognize is where we find ourselves. That's just how things are working out at this point.
And finally, what's the big deal if the gov't says two gays are married and also says two straights are married; do they need to interact in some way? Is the straight couple required to hand their children over to the gay couple a few times a month for some gay education program? The point I'm making is why do you care so much if gay people can get married? It's not going to impact your life!
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People have held values and morals beliefs for thousands of years. I literally mean thousands of years. They have been marginalized and cast out, but that is what happens when people have strong opinions. There are people here on the left who would gladly cast out, spit upon and marginalize anyone who disagrees with them. It is hardly a conservative trait.
You also seem to just ignore the fact that the compromise has been all one way. Compromise by people who hold deep seated moral beliefs. They have their right to these beliefs, and they have every right to defend and promote them. Every bit as much right as the gays do. The fact that they have been willing to compromise whereas those who advocate for gay marriage have not should point out that the intolerance in this issue has shifted to the proponents of gay marriage.
As for changing government. 25 years ago, it would have been unthinkable that the federal government would be violating the Constitution and interfering with the health choices of Americans. Yet, here we are. It would have been unthinkable that gays would have been given civil unions, let alone a standing in the courts for gay marriage. Yet here we are.
Getting government out of anything seems to be unthinkable to progressives and government worshipers, but that does not mean we should stop trying. Perhaps getting children out of the government indoctrination centers will go a long way toward that.
Finally, simply because you do not see the 'big deal' does not mean that there isn't one. Many thousands of lines of argument have been made for this 'big deal'. Have you just summarily rejected and not bothered to read them because you have made up your mind that it is no big deal?
And speaking of which, because I have to run and cannot spend anymore time today on this forum, I have a question.
Why do you support gay marriage? Deep down, why do you think it is okay?
Thanks for the nice and thoughtful response (not being sarcastic).
I support gay marriage for a few reasons. First is that (personally) I believe that life is very, very short, and if two people of the same sex love each other and want to form a life around one another, who am I to say that they can't fall under that same umbrella I do with my wife? I don't know the secrets to the universe, or if a god exists, or (if he does exist) what his plans are - no one does - so with that as a given if something is going to have
no effect on my life, but
will make someone else's life much better, I say fine, "go ahead". What's to gain from bickering over it?
If gay people were trying to reduce my rights, or change the conditions of my own marriage, then we'd have an issue. But they are not..
Secondly, the gay couples I know personally act and live exactly the same as the straight couples I know; they hang out, they go on vacations, they take care of one another when one is sick, they pay bills together, they raise kids, ect. So given that the structure of their relationship is exactly the same as my wife and I, who am I to say that they shouldn't call it a marriage?
My question is, what sort of bad things will happen if marriage is redefined to be both same and opposite sex couples? I mean, the gay/straight ratio will still remain the same (that's not going anywhere), and gay people are still going to form couples, adopt children, live amongst you, so again, what does barring them from the word marriage and a few tax breaks accomplish?
Why can't you just enjoy straight marriage alongside gay marriage?
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