I live in a blue state, but it's not exactly a state that is firmly blue. Aside from Seattle, Olympia, and parts of Bellingham the rest of the state is 50/50 or heavily red. (about 4% of Washington voters are Libertarian --hooray for us!)
My state's superior court is hearing arguments regarding same sex marriage. Many red staters want the superior court to rule that marriage is between a man and a woman and support the "defense of marriage act." Even more red-state nut jobs support President Bush's suggestion to amend the US Constitution on the matter. Almost universally do red-staters declare their opposition to gay marriage on religious terms...and rightfully so.
My question to you red-staters is simply this:
Why do you want the government to weigh-in on anything you see in religious terms? Why in God's name do you want the government to be put in a position to have an opinion about anything that resembles a religious opinion?
It is because of my own beliefs about gay marriage that I want the government to issue no opinion on it whatsoever. In fact, I'm still not sure why it is the government has a position on marriage of any kind.
For a long time, I've felt very uneasy about marriage certficates being used as official documents or baptismal certificates being used as a piece of identification. What I practice and perform as a matter of faith is really no one's business and is certainly not the business of Washington DC or Olympia.
If you go to a judge or a ship's captain and get married, that's fine too. It shouldn't be a matter for the state to worry about. Also if you're gay and want/need the type of paperwork that says you can visit your "partner" in the hospital or whatever...you should be able to do that too.
The role of government should be to enforce contracts, not disqualify them on religious terms.
When it boils right down to it, the only reason the state wants to be involved in your marital status is so they know how to tax you. And that should disgust both blue and red staters.
2 comments:
It's not fence sitting when you can recognize that there are areas where government should have no role. I have personal views on the subject but I think it's a more noble position to support someone's freedom even if you don't agree with what they do with it.
Robert...are you gay?
I can tell you the difference:
Libertarians are political activists that routinely lose elections...
...and Branch Davidians are a religious sect that broke off of the Seventh Day Adventists that just happen to also resemble charcoal briquettes.
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