Gay Marriage

"I'm so tired of liberals in this country trying to ram things down our throats. Especially this latest fascination with the whole gay marriage issue."

Voicing our "liberal" opinions on civil rights is not ramming it down your throat. And it isn't the "latest" fascination, it's not a fad. People have been repressed for their sexual orientation for hundreds of years.

"I love how they have tried to turn this into a civil rights issue..."

It is a civil rights issue. Civil rights are rights to our own personal liberties.

"...and how they try to equate their "struggle" with that of hispanics, blacks, and jews. I guess I must have missed something. When were homosexuals rounded up and put into concentration camps? When were homosexuals forced into slavery? When were homosexuals segregated in schools and stores and resteraunts?"

I see your point, to a degree. But it doesn't have to reach that point to be wrong. Your instances are instances of things gone horribly, horribly wrong.

"At least a gay person can act straight. A black person can't hide their color."

And a black man should never have to hide their color. And gay people should not have to hide who they love.

"Now we are supposed to all be outraged because 1% of the population want to redefine something that has been widely accepted by the whole world pretty much since time began."

I'm not saying you should be outraged. I am saying maybe you should stop and think when the government crosses the line when it comes to meddling in our personal lives. And if you want marriage that has been accepted since time began, then we should also allow polygamy and mail order brides and slaves sold into matrimony.

"Give me a break. There are currently 6 other countries in the world that allow same sex "marriages". So why don't you stop crying and embarrassing yourselves on TV and exercise your freedom to leave this country and go get married there if it really means that much to you."

Maybe because it should not be required of them to leave their homes, their families, their jobs, and the country they love in order to love another person.

"Honestly I still don't see how it is descrimation against gays anyway. They still have the same right as heterosexuals do to marry someone of the opposite sex."

Here's the definition of discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.

Here's how that applies to the subject: it means that gay men and women are being fired from their jobs. Are being kicked out of the military. Are being refused service in restaraunts and shops. They are being targeted for hate crimes. (What is a hate crime? A hate crime is when a person violates another's rights simply because of what they are. Gay, straight, white, black, mexican.) When was the last time you saw a gay politician? Let me rephrase. When was the last time you saw a politician who's sexuality wasn't used against them.

And here's the rights that a married man and woman have. A husband can leave a life insurance policy to his wife. A wife and husband can adopt a child who needs a loving family. If a husband is dying in the hospital and unable to make his own decisions, the wife can make those decisions. A wife can share the health insurance benefits provided by her work to her husband.

An unmarried gay couple can do none of these things.

Let's make a deal. When you stop and take a second to look at someone else's view, I will stop and take a look at yours.