What Are You Afraid Of?

On the ballot this year in Virginia is one of those anti-gay-marriage amendments. Not only is it to ban gay marriage, but the language is so broad that it requires all government agencies to refuse to recognize any contractual arrangement that carries with it any right, benefit, obligation, quality or effect of a marriage. It’s a huge deal that isn’t getting nearly enough attention here, and when it does, it’s framed as the “gay marriage ban” rather than the odious language that it truly is. Gay marriage is already banned by law in Virginia, and Virginia certainly does not have one of those “activist” courts that would dare overturn such a law.
Like they did in New Jersey. It’s amusing that the media is framing the New Jersey decision as similar to that of Massachussets a while ago. What the NJ court said was that “Although we cannot find that a fundamental right to same-sex marriage exists in this State, the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our State Constitution.” So, they’re not mandating that gay marriage be allowed, just that two people who care about each other be allowed to be at each other’s deathbed. Update: Andrew Cohen weighs in on Bench Conference, basically confirming that my reading is fairly accurate.
One of the people who works in my office, not the sharpest pencil in the box, was watching the CNN ticker that scrolled the announcement by and remarked “That’s just scary.” [And then she voted: Scott Adams reference] How? How is this remotely scary? The divorce rate in this country is at all-time highs, and you’re worried about two people of the same sex getting married? They’re already living together, probably own a house together. They married in every way but the stupid paper that says they are. Why is it scary? I just don’t understand how this affects anyone who is already in a “traditional” marriage. You’re still married. If you want to get married to a person of the opposite sex, you can still do that. And most of all, your kids aren’t going to “catch” gay-ness. It’s not a disease that the gays are going to pass on to more people just because they’re married.
It bugs me when our “leaders” feel the need to impose their morals on me. Sanctity of marriage? Hello, Kettle? This is Pot. You’re black. How many of our Congresspeople are divorced? I know my own Representative is (Hi, Tom Davis! Are you seriously trying to tell me that you and Jeannemarie didn’t get together until after the divorces were finalized?). It bugs me when the spin doctors don’t care about the people, the human beings, who are affected by their brain-dead vote-getting schemes. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. It’s crap like this that makes me embarrassed to call myself an American sometimes.