Kerry Backs State Ban On Gay Marriage (but civil unions are O.K.?)
The Redhead Wore Crimson : won’t be voting for Kerry, and I’m thinking neither will I, unless he waffles back over the line.
Dang it — people should be free to marry the person of their choice (there – nobody marryin’ no trees nor dogs around here. And no multiples). I’ve had it with the “holy matrimony” bullhocky argument — I heard some Episcopal rector from Texas on :NPR earlier today, solemnly intoning that marriage was a gift from God. Eep. He’s from the other end of the Episcopal buffet from me, I’m thinking.
Gift from God? Matrimony holy? Bullcrap. Marriage was originally a way to transfer inheritance, property, and bloodlines. All that religious symbolism, while pretty, was window dressing. It was all about the ducats – especially in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, when only the rich people bothered to get married in church.
All the peasants (that’s you and me) just lived together and were considered married by all and sundry, including the local priest. All he really cared about was that progeny got baptised.
And if I recall aright, marriages used to take place in the church porch way back when… not inside the church, because they were too bawdy and disruptive. Must check on that.
Hmm. Whoa, Martin Luther said that? Hmm.
And just to chime in with a not a few others, there are more gay people getting married in various places around the country than there were last week, and my marriage is just fine, thankyewverramuch.
I don’t think much of the “civil union” compromise anymore. It doesn’t seem like it’s anything other than it is – a sop thrown to gay constituents by politicians who can’t bring themselves to go all the way out on the limb.
I’m disappointed in Kerry. If he’s the only alternative to Bush, I’ll vote for him, but he’s going to hear a lot about gay marriage before then. I dare say he might come around eventually.
Although… we’d better make sure things are right in Florida this time around. Last time, a vote for Gore didn’t matter a hoot, owing to our wonderful Electoral College.
And we still have that because… why, again? Oh, right, another Constitutional amendment required to dump it.
Bother.