Monday, June 05, 2006

Like a Rhinestone Agenda

Over the weekend, Pres. Decider made a strong decision, one that could cause echoes throughout the political world.

He decided that he wanted to push forward the proposed Constitutional ban on gay marriage.

There are so many reasons why this tweaks brains nationwide. First off, should the Constitution (theoretically the highest law in the land) be worrying itself with things like marriage of any sort? Isn't it supposed to be more of a handbook for the government itself, hence the obliteration of Prohibition? I mean, yes, tell us about our freedoms, tell us who gets the right to vote, but don't tell us who should be married.

Secondly, this is merely an issue because some of the more extreme religious zealots that this country has (and holds dear) want it to be an issue. They are basically saying "You need us more than we need you, and we want you to push these religious issues." In other words, if the GOP doesn't at least make an effort to get this issue on the table, then a large portion of their voting bank is threatening to turn their support away from them. We've discussed this and the likelihood of it happening before, and we know the result of the GOP making promises to followthrough on these topics. Of course, when you have people stumping on the campaign trail and declaring that the US is a "Christian nation", as they recently did in Texas. Of course this is going to bring the evangelical's even more firmly into the GOP pocket, and widen the "religion gap" with regards to voting practices.

Thirdly, you almost have to wonder if GDub is simply going through the motions of a lame-duck president, or if he's desperately trying to improve not only his own approval ratings, but the approval ratings of his constituents, many of whom are being left with a bag of flaming debris after his presidency. If so, maybe he needs to keep a better eye on what his friends are telling the press regarding the issues that he's trying to push forward. One of GDub's old friends, under requests for anonymity, was quoted in NEWSWEEK as saying, "I think it was purely political. I don't think he gives a S--T about it." This contradicts WH aides, but when you look at which group is being paid to toe the party line, you've gotta wonder a bit.

Finally, is there really that much of a clamor against gay marriage that we need to put on the November ballot a proposed Constitutional amendment to keep Adam and Steve from becoming man and man? I certainly hope not, and, with the political and religious climate perking up around the country, I'm not entirely sure how much support a ballot item like this could possibly receive. Of course, I could be horribly wrong, and we could all wake up in November with the knowledge that gay marriage is gone, obliterated from our consciousness, a mere hallucination brought on by far too much drug abuse during the 60s.

I firmly believe that there is no call for such an amendment. While faith in this country (that's faith with a little "f", not the kind that inspires church visits and confessions) has been eroding bit by bit over the past decade, I don't want to think that we've gotten to a point where we are so infused with our own zealotry that we make laws stating not only who can get married to who, but how many children they can have, and whether or not they will learn evolution or creationism in school. I refuse to accept that we are in such a darkened age of acceptance that we are more willing to persecute someone for following Jesus differently than we do, than we are to listen and attempt to understand their perspective.

And if I'm wrong, I'm moving to Ireland. At least they're honest about their attempts to kill each other.

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