Posted by
Kelly the Giant on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 10:59:07 PM
I’ve been reading more polls today, as I like to keep tabs on the common opinions of the people I share a country with, and I saw one that ranked the most important issues to voters for Election 2008. They were as follows:
1. 1. The War in Iraq
2. 2. Foreign Policy
3. 3. Health Care Reform
4. 4. Gay Marriage
5. 5. Tax Policies
It seems to me like one of these things doesn’t fit. Remember that Sesame Street game? One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong. Can you tell me which thing is not like the others by the time I finish my song?
It’s Gay Marriage. While I acknowledge that it’s an issue that affects a lot of people, and one that does so on a much more personal level than other issues do, I don’t think it belongs at the forefront of presidential debates. It does not hold life and death in a balance like the War in Iraq does. It does not affect the daily lives of the 6.6 billion people that inhabit our planet as Foreign Policy does. It does not decide whether sick mothers and children can get treatment or not as Health Care Reform does. It does not tell citizens how much money they have to give to the government or what programs get sufficiently funded as Tax Policies do. Gay marriage is not as important an issue as everyone seems to think.
I think the legislation on the issue should be left up to each individual state. All other marriage rights, i.e. common-law marriage, divorce stipulations, etc., are all handled by states on an individual basis, and I don’t think the gay marriage issue should be treated any differently.
It doesn’t seem fair to me that we can ask the Federal Government to define marriage and force an acceptance of homosexuality on the entire country when at the same time we are outraged whenever they try to influence our beliefs in any other way. They cannot be expected, nor would we want them, to control any of our other feelings or behaviors. The Gay Marriage issue is not immune from this distinction.
I think we need to stop fixating on it because it’s not that big. Take it to the states, end of story. And as far as using it to select a presidential candidate, we need to realize that he alone does not make decisions on this legislation. It has to go through all three branches of our government, and currently the majority of the people in those seats are against it. So focus on the bigger issues when casting your vote in November.