Into the political maelstrom

It is election season, as you all know unless you've been off-planet or under a rock. In addition to the most important presidential election in several generations (more on that later), there is Congress to decide. Most states have various measures on the ballot, and we here in California have an major issue of basic human rights to decide.

A while back, Gavin Newsome (San Francisco's mayor) and the S.F. City Council decided that there was nothing in the California State Constitution that stated that applicants for a marriage license had to be of opposing genders, and ordered the Clerk to act accordingly. The swarm of gay and lesbian couples that obtained marriage certificates, finally equal in the eyes of the law, was nothing sort of astounding. Needless to say, the social conservatives filed suit, the process was stopped and the couples that took advantage of an all too short window immediately filed a countersuit. The California Supreme Court, in one of its' wiser decisions, overturned a previous initiative that tried to limit marriage to heterosexuals only as unconstitutional and Proposition 8 was born. Proposition 8 will alter the California constitution to state that marriage is only legal between one man and one woman.

Since then we have heard how "the will of the voters was overturned" and "churches will be sued over their beliefs" and "gay marriage will be taught in schools" and a metric buttload of other crap about how "marriage has to be defended". The enemy of marriage is not MORE marriage, it is DIVORCE! If you want to "defend" marriage, outlaw divorces. The murder rate will jump, but what can I say.

Why on earth should a loving, committed couple be prevented from all the advantages of a civil marriage, regardless of gender bias? The religious folk say that "God wouldn't approve". Got some news that you won't want to hear, bible-thumpers. Freedom of religion also includes freedom FROM religion. Just because the god-fearing sheep think that non-believers will burn in an imaginary hell does NOT allow them to mold our society to their beliefs. A marriage is not legal until the paperwork is filed with the government, no matter how many god salesmen say otherwise.

I've been married to Cathy for over eight wonderful years. She is not my first wife. My previous marriages ended for different reasons, but not one of them ended because of successful gay and lesbian couples. If two people want to unite their lives they should get all the advantages that the traffic will bear, regardless of whether they are male, female or one of each.

Civil unions aren't the answer either. "Separate, but equal" has never worked and is unconstitutional. There is not now and has never been enough love in the world. Who are we to judge where two consenting adults find it? Folks, I urge you to support equality for everyone. There is NO rational reason why a gay or lesbian couple shouldn't enjoy the same legal benefits AND responsibilities that Cathy and I enjoy. There is also no reason why those couples shouldn't enjoy the same protections that are afforded to those allowed to marry legally.

We say that we are a tolerant society of equals. Prove it. Vote no on Proposition 8 if you are in California and back similar measures if you aren't. Predjudice is illegal. Don't legalize it.