Marriage, Families, and Politics
It is quite common for political ideologues to use families and/or children for cover during their campaigns. What happens when families on both side of an issue have a grievance?
The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, known by the number “2″ around here, is such an issue. It will be voted on state-wide, and it needs a 60-40 majority to pass. That seemed pretty promising when it was thought of as an amendment that would prevent gay marriage from taking hold down here. But by redefining the amendment as one that could potentially hurt families that are formed by non-matrimonial circumstances, opponents are making this a close one.
There is a poll that puts the amendment ahead 55-39% with about 6% undecided. To me, that indicates that there is a real need for more discussion about this. Are one or both sides using disinformation? Do one or both sides have realistic fears?
On the pro-2 side, it’s not unreasonable to think that existing laws may eventually be overturned by an activist court. By making the definition of marriage a constitutional matter, it makes it harder for future judiciary to take this matter into its own hands. What will they do, say the constitution is unconstitutional?
On the anti-2 side, they worry that this law will be used by activist bureaucrats or other government officials to disenfranchise children born out of wedlock, seniors who live together for financial or legal reasons, and domestic partners trying to get hospital visitation rights.
I’m not sure that this amendment is a magic bullet for either side, win or lose. If you are worried about losing your rights, or about your society crumbling, it will take more than a law on the books. It will take vigilance all year round. You have to take an interest in the people who become judges, the people who appoint those who are appointed, and be involved in your community. But if you are one of those people who thinks Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry are your “Friends”, and if you really do love Raymond, you may not have a say in your real world when you do finally emerge from your living room.
Someone please explain to me how allowing same-sex partnerships or marriages has ever hurt our society or any other in which it is condoned (or even just overlooked). Has their been some catastrophic rise in death rates? Was there any discernible increase in crime? Did the divorce rate for the area start spiking? Was anything really changed at all? Who could it hurt exactly? How?
I’m so confused about why anyone thinks this is an issue at all.
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