politics

Tony Blair on pre-war intelligence: They do a tremendous job for our country. I accept full personal responsibility for the way the issue was presented and therefore for any errors made.

Accountability from the guy in charge?? That's so...weird. Whoa. Head rush.

I doubt anyone who reads my little scribblings is in favor of the marriage amendment, but could someone please help me understand the argument for it? How does it hurt anyone if gay couples can get married? HOW? Should I drop Mr. Santorum a line and ask him to enlighten me?

I wasn't done

Maybe I should just send it to W. I'm sure I'm already on all the lists of commie pinko bleeding-heart America-haters. Go me!

***
Dear Senator Santorum,

I admit I'm opposed to the marriage amendment. Indeed, I don't really understand the argument for it. Maybe you can help me out here. You say we have to protect traditional families. Please tell me how it hurts anyone if gays and lesbians are allowed to marry. Seriously, how?

Arguments that will not work:

1. The one I suspect is the root of your problem, which goes, "I disapprove of those homos and don't think they should have the same rights as other human beings." Um, the Constitution exists to safeguard the rights of all Americans, not just the ones you like. When we do something fucked-up and wrong like enslave people or keep people from voting because they happen to be female, we eventually see the light and fix it. The POINT of the Constitution is to guarantee rights for everyone even when backwards bigots want to deny those rights.

2. "It's a slippery slope, and if we let gays get married, people will want to marry their dog, high-school graduating class, or 14-year-old neighbor." Welllll... no. I can't marry my cat any more than I can marry my car. My cat can't agree to enter into a binding contract with me. Neither can anyone under 18. As for group marriages, that's a completely separate issue. Marriage as it exists now is a bundle of rights and privileges that two people sign up for when they agree to spend their lives together. Two people, not three. The only thing wrong with the current definition is that it discriminates on the basis of gender.

Incidentally, if one of your objections to "the gay lifestyle" is its supposed promiscuity, how come you're opposed to it if two guys want to declare their lifelong commitment and be faithful to each other? You can't have it both ways, you know. Saying, in effect, "You're evil because you won't settle down with a partner. Oh, you want to? Too bad, you can't."... doesn't that seem just a little petty and mean-spirited?

If you can show me some concrete way in which people are actually hurt by gays and lesbians getting married, please, please do. I really want to understand why so many people hold a belief that seems idiotic to me. So far no one has been able to justify it. Maybe that's because there isn't really a sane justification.