Either Barack Obama is a lot smarter than I am or he really does not want to be re elected.
Not that I disagree with him about gay marriage, but you have to say, "What was he thinking?"
I suppose you might think, well, he was never going to get the vote of any ardent bible thumper anyway. But he was never going to lose the gay vote, because they have nowhere else to go, if a gay is voting on gay issues.
How many truly "independent" voters there are out there? I do not know. But there must be some who would have maybe voted for Obama, but now will not because they are offended by the idea of gay marriage. They are offended by the two men, who are standing on the sidelines of the soccer game watching their eight year old daughter playing soccer. They are embarrassed when their own eight year old daughter ask them, "Who are those two men?" And they have to say, "Those are Jennifer's fathers." They do not want to have to accept that family as having any right to exist. It's not actually a problem for the children, who can accept whatever they are told, who are not locked into beliefs yet. The problem is with the squirmy parents.
This is one of those emotional-all-thinking-stops-and-just-emotions-reign things.
When you get people relaxed, in a bar, talking about marriage, the average person is more reasonable about the whole idea of marriage. But when you put people in a group, like at church, they lose all rationality.
For my part, that word marriage is nothing sacred. It is applied to relationships which are so varied and so different from one another the only thing you can say is it has only legal meaning.
How many people really believe a man and woman are chosen for each other by God?
How many people really believe in those vows to be sexually faithful, to stand by your spouse in sickness and in health? Some people do both, but probably the majority do not and that word marriage is an empty promise.
Men shuck their aging wives for trophy wives. Women have babies and lie about who the father really is. Divorce ends most marriages.
Really, that sacred institution is anything but.
But humankind cannot stand too much reality.
We get very nasty when you force us to face the fact that a cherished illusion is bunk.
There are magazines about weddings and brides and girls still dream about finding "Mr. Right."
For my money, I'd get the government out of the business of gay marriage because I'd get it out of the business of all marriage. You want a church wedding? Fine. Have a beautiful day. But don't ask the government to sanctify it and don't allow those words, "By the power invested in me by the state of New Hampshire, I now pronounce you man and wife."
Yuck!
Marriage ought to be what it is: A contract. Go to city hall and get officially registered and married, heterosexual, homosexual, intra species, whatever. If you want to marry a frog, fine. But the practical, financial, health insurance, visiting rights aspects can be spelled out in law for any couple who wants to sign on for that contract.
Problem is, I'm unelectable for saying such things. So is President Obama.
