Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Where is the debate in the "gay marriage debate"?

Yesterday on NRP’s All Things Considered, there was a report about Senator George Allen’s campaign that is using the controversy surrounding the marriage rights of gay and lesbian couples as a wedge issue to bolster support from religious voters, including African American voters. Yes, this is the same George Allen who finds it appropriate to drop racial epithets during his campaign speeches and who has been rumored to drop the “N” bomb from time to time. I’m not trying to make any accusations here but if it walks like a duck…you know the rest. Anyway, I’m getting really fed up with the way in which this debate is framed by the media and political pundits. In the case of NPR’s report, they interview a few religious conservatives as they file out of their churches to see what they “think” about gay marriage. Instead of offering insightful and well thought-out opinions regarding the repression of marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples they spout out jewels like this: “It’s not God’s will. Its not how marriage was suppose to be set up and I am absolutely against it.” And if Trisha Allison didn’t articulate the stance of Baptists in the American South well enough, there are plenty of others who can offer the same depth of analysis. The question that I would like to hear posed by these journalist and politicians is “Who cares what Trisha Allison in Virginia thinks about the right for me and my partner of 6 years to enjoy the same rights as she does with her husband?” To me, this is akin to asking a KKK member in 1954 what they think about the desegregation of public schools. Civil rights are not and should not be decided upon by a vote of the majority. If the American public wants to have an honest debate about the meaning of marriage and the role of government in supporting those meanings then fine, let’s do that. But there is no debate going on. Yes, we are all aware of what the bible says or does not say about homosexuality and frankly I don’t give a damn. I’m an atheist and I don’t put anymore stock in biblical “truths” than I do in Greek mythology. And the beautiful thing is, I shouldn’t have to in a country that touts itself as loving freedom. If we want to turn that corner and begin to legislate the bible then we are no better off than the Islamic nations we like to criticize so much. I will be eagerly listening for the next news story that dares to challenge the power of religious voters and put an end to their madness. 

Posted by RiOtPoOf on 10/31 at 11:21 AM
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