Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Will of the People

Today California ruled that Same Sex marriage is A-Ok.

What erks me is that immediately some people are scrambling to pass an amendment to ban said marriages. Citing it as immoral and harmful to our nation's children, they are determined to make sure marriage stays between a man and a woman.

Their reasoning is that the law that was challenged ('One Man One Woman' from 1977) was passed in many incarnations by the majority of voters. By striking down this legislation, they claim we're denying the will of the people.

The logic in this is hilarious. By the same coin, the Jim Crow laws were passed by the majority in their respective states. Was it okay to keep those on the books since the majority approved of them? How about rights to vote? Maybe we should have kept that the sole right of white male land owners, since the founding fathers voted that in by majority. Their WILL was there in black and white.

And why the hell is the government regulating this crap anyway? In my humble opinion, as long as all parties to whatever you're doing are legal consenting adults, what's the big problem?

I am told that it will tell the nation's children to aspire to a poor and immoral role model. Huh? Like children understand anything about marriage? If I presume correctly, to any given child hearing about 'same sex' marriage will elicit a yawn. They don't care, it's not a Pokemon, and they can't plug it into their PlayStation. In my opinion, the only way this would affect a child is if one happened to be sitting nearby watching a display of two people consummating the marriage. And who on this hellhole of a planet would let that happen? It's absurd.

And to be honest, marriage these days isn't exactly a good thing to be pointing to as a place to uphold morals. Unless abusive spouses and high divorces rates combined with just plain ol' sleeping around is something Conservatives want to impress upon their children. Personally, I'd clean up my own house before commenting on someone else's.

Like I said, the tales of horror that all our children will become homosexual due to this ruling is absurd. It is similar to the tales of horror that were told if we allowed dem blacks as equals! Or those immigrants (funny in its own right, as they would block these people, completely forgetting their own immigrant heritage many of whom would have came illegally except for the ocean in the way).

Finally, let's take a look at the statistics in California. This ruling will lead, they say, to unprecedented boat loads of gays getting married left and right in that state! They'll be all over the place!

Population of California: 38,000,000
Estimated Population of California that is Homosexual: 92,000 couples = 184,000

Wow, in a huge state, 0.4841 % of the population is gay! OOH! This is the nation's third largest state, with an area of 163,696 square miles. In that math, there are approximately 1.12 homosexual people per square miles in California. Consider that the number 184,000 is conditional as a couple, so it's actually 0.56 couples per square mile. That is a super minority. It's rare, and consider also that the actual stats would probably be lower since most couples could be in their own communities (such as San Fran). Why does anyone think this will significantly change their state?

The only reason why a state becomes a magnet for same sex marriages after such a ruling is because no other state is allowing it. Kinda like the way Acme might get mobbed if it was the only supermarket chain selling bread. If the entire nation allowed it, I'll bet no one would notice at all. Except, of course, the screaming conservatives.

Before you yell at me, I have no love for extreme liberals on other things. In fact, I hate conservatives and liberals equally. Go pigeon hole someone else, I've got better things to do than pass laws against someone's idea of sex.

In closing, I'm going to copy/paste a few quotes from the discussion board on on this article:

"I have to worry about my children's exposure to immoral behavior being held up as legitimate even though it goes against my religious beliefs violating my rights."

".....and in case you haven't heard, homosexuality is legal in all 50 states and gay relationships between consenting adults are just as lawful as straight relationships, so whatever "many people" believe is moral or immoral is irrelevant to this debate....and finally, "many people" thought it was immoral (and even used The Bible to support their position) to grant blacks equality in America so it is very much the same thing. The court at that time did the same thing by going against the will of the people to overturn an I guess at the time they were "activists" as well."

"I also hate it when people compare gay rights to civil rights. It isn't the same. Gays take actions that are considered to be immoral by many. Being a different color isn't an action that affects others."

"...and straight people don't have kinky sex that many find objectionable? I guess we should ban them from marriage also."

"I like all colors of people and we all make the world a more colorful place, but homosexuality has long been a tabboo in our world. Their is a reason for that, being that who you are is not defined by your sexual identity. If it is, that's when you start making decided steps outside the "norm." The norm being that sex is part of our reproductive needs. Of course we enjoy it, we are supposed to, so that we procreate.

Rosa Parks did not try to scissor another woman in that bus, she just wanted a seat. She is entitled that. "

""Norm" doesn't mean anything. "Normal" is a setting on my washer. Human behavior is a bell curve and some people fall outside of that....does that make them bad or wrong? The Constitution says no as long we do not violate the rights of others.....and are gays, by marrying, scissoring straight people in the street? A better question, how does gay marriage affect anyone but gays? How does it violate your rights in any way?"

"I think i'll marry my dog now...he can use the insurance"

"Many things are illegal because of morality, though nothing should be illegal because of morality. It is not up to our government to legislate morality."

"Let's condone pedophilia, murder, bestiality, heroin use whatever floats everybody's boats. And you know what, really who does besteality hurt?"

"The intolerance is not the bigotry, nobody is forcing you to do anything you don't want to do through legislation. If by granting gay marriage prevents you from marrying, then we can talk."

"I am also sick of the homophobic thing...Anytime someone says they are against gay marriage doesn't mean they are homophobic. I might be against my neighbor owning a dog, that doesn't mean I am afraid of them."

" say let them marry...then they can find out what is like to pay a divorce attorney, lose half their crap, be resposible for someone else's overspending"

"I am against gay marriage, but I don't have a fear of or aversion to homosexuals. I don't consider not allowing gay marriage to be discriminatory, so you are wrong."

"And all I was saying is a majority of opinion doesn't necessarily make from right and wrong. Their is much more at stake than gay people marrying. This will directly effect our economy on many levels that we aren't prepared for. Gay people do not need the protections of marriage the way a straight couple do. In a two parent straight family it has been the norm that one works while the other raises the children(I know a lot of families have two working parents know, but I'm talking about what marriage means). Gays do not need a stay at home partner, which in turn would need the benefits of their parteners health or dental insurance, or direct access to many other of their parteners monetary interests. Gay marriage is unnecessary, while their are countless other pressing issues. A lack of marriage is not discriminatory, and furthermore I don't appreciate gays in my churches either. I am raised a christian and was taught, through the bible, that homosexuality is not part of God's plan for our lives. What gives gay people the right to fight and push their way into my church and force the whole world to accept their lifestyle? Do you go to dunkin donuts demanding a beer? Do you go to hooters demanding men in thongs? Gays are not discriminated against as much as they'd like the world to believe. "

"Wow what a simplistic view of marriage. So a man and woman get married so there is one worker and one person to stay at home or for health/dental benefits/monetary interest? Seriously? That is the argument you choose to make? I (female) married my husband for nothing close to the reasons you list. I married my husband because I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.Furthermore if a couple decides not to have children do they not have a valid marriage?

The Bible also tells me I can't look at/be near a man when I have my period. What gives heterosexual people the right to fight and push their way into anything and force others to accept the way they think?Besides what gives you the right to speak for God or to say what God's plan is?"

"Jesus would welcome them if they repent of their sins and since he would classify homosexuality a sin, they would have to give up their gay lifestyle and he would be more than happy to let them in."

"Everybody in that state would be legally forced to recognize it. It's everybody's business"

"How would you even know if a gay couple were married or just living together unless you asked? Don't be absurd.You live in a free country which means that often times you may have to encounter things, people, situations etc that you disagree with or don't like.Deal with it."

"Many churches decide who can marry who can not. You may get rejected by a Catholic Church if you have not been confirmed as a Catholic and sometimes counseling with a priest and even classes are required before they allow a straight couple to marry."

"Because I was here first, why don't the gays move and start their own country like "Gayland" or "Sodom." They could decorate it any way they want."

"I am not a Christian, so why should I be bound by what Jesus wants when this is a civil matter and not a religious one?"

"FLASH: CA Supreme Court permits Homosexual "marriage" : Peverse, disgusting, twisted , deviant.

But, it's a natural function of over-population. Even rat experiments [ a good comparison] shows overcrowding leads to any hole being fair game.

Of course there some disease consequences to this joyous progressive court decision: intestinal parasites, aids, higher level of venereal disease, hepatitis, etc. etc. But hey, we should all pay for our "brothers" natural life style choices.

What's next? Should you be able to "marry" your horse or wolfhound? Perhaps adopt some human babies to live in the barn with your "spouse"?

History shows pluralistic societies run their course and fail. Look how far we've come in the US. We should be so proud to belong to a dying society."

"the people who oppose it do not have a right to limit equality for their fellow Americans ever. See 14th Amendment to the US Constitution."

And finally, the mega-paragraph:

"The argument against gay marriage is weak and flimsy and would not hold up in a high school debate class. The people who are against same-sex marriage continually use religion as an argument. Christianity, like ALL religions, is made up. The fact of the matter is, the Bible is a work of fiction used as a means to try to control people. Another fact is sin only exists in the minds of Christians. So wake up you silly Christians, you've been duped! The Bible is a work of fiction and sin does not exist. Homosexuality is 100% normal, just as heterosexuality is. Imagine the uproar if Christians were being denied the right or privelege to marry because people thought it was "morally" wrong. I'm so sick of the "it's morally wrong" argument. My morals are not your morals, and allowing gay people to marry in no way shape or form takes anything away from heteros or forces anything upon them. The argurment against same-sex marriage is weak, weak, weak. So put down the Bible you thumpers, it's just another fictional book! Why didn't they call Jesus to the stand to testify against same-sex marriage? Oh, yeah, that's right, he was just a man that lived 2000 some years ago! It amazes me how many seemingly intelligent people actually believe all the Jesus nonsense just because someone told them if they didn't they would go to Hell! Christianity is for the weak minded, however, I support their right to be a **bleep** if they want to be. If God/Jesus is really against same-sex marriage, PROVE IT, but don't try using the Bible because it proves nothing."


Michael Ejercito said...

What did you expect?

The people of California do not want to recognize same-sex unions as marriages.

You should not be surprised.

Anna J Tsiolkovsky said...

I'm not surprised, just a little disappointed. I can't understand the big fuss surrounding it that it warrants an ammendment to ban it. It rings of the Prohibition.

On a tangent, I do wonder how an ammendment banning alcohol passed in the first place and stayed in effect for about a decade. It's such a ubiquitous and popular drink.

Michael Ejercito said...

Prohibition passed because some politicians thought themselves better than the people.

It is important to remember that popularity is a huge factor in the effects of a law or policy. The actual consequences of Prohibition was far different than what its supporters were expecting.

At seventh and last, people are ruled from ideas within their heads as much as guns and clubs without. One of the causes of the Sepoy Rebellion was a belief that the cartridges for the Enfield rifles contained pork or beef grease, offending the religious sensibilities of many of the sepoys.