Warning: My first political rant on the new blog 🙂 This is your opportunity to ignore the fact that I have opinions on the world and state of affairs in this country and also have a right to voice them, even if they disagree with your beliefs. (In other words, don’t send me some email about this, this isn’t the soap page, separate the two as I have)
On Monday our President will hold a press conference to address the nation on a very very very important matter, same-sex marriage. This coming week the Senate is debating the constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage.
Most likely to be pointed out by Bush in his speech:
Marriage is under attack by activist judges
Traditional marriage is the cornerstone of every society
Marriage between a man and a woman is thousands of years old.
Most likely not to be pointed out by Bush in his speech:
Traditional marriage, at least as we think of marriage, dates back to about World War I/II or at best the Ozzie and Harriet model
Traditional marriage, at least as we think of marriage, is marriage for love and not because the woman can’t work and support herself and thus has to marry, or is a marriage arranged by the families.
Exactly how banning same-sex marriage will strengthen or protect traditional marriage.
Exactly how banning same-sex marriage will prevent things like divorce, spousal abuse, child abuse, etc
The historical fact that marriage dating to a thousands of years ago (see above category) was really marriage between man and many women, we’ll ignore the fact that Native Americans and other non-western societies have had gay marriage of some type.
I have not been political that much on this new blog at all, I was trying to stay away from politics as much as possible as the topic just makes me angry. This topic I just can’t ignore. I also warned on the older blog I may from time to time address things that people may not like here. This is one of them. The fact that Bush’s new immigration policy respects the families of illegal immigrants MORE than it respects “non-traditional” families like mine that actually are natural citizens as well as law abiding and tax paying citizens of this country boils my blood.
As an anthropologist and an archaeologist the idea that there is a “traditional” form of marriage is unimaginable, marriage is defined by each and every culture differently, it is not universal as many would like us to believe. Culture is not static, it changes over time. That is a given, that is one of the first things you learn in anthropology. Time is not on the side of this amendment.
Dustin
Well said.
Cheers to you!
I don’t blame you for being angry; you should be. I hope that someday this ignorance and bigotry will end.
Rant away!
:applause for your rant:
For the non-social scientists; from the American Anthropological Association…
“The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies.
The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association strongly opposes a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples.”
source: http://www.aaanet.org/press/ma_stmt_marriage.htm
Right on Dustin. That idiot we now have for a president is ruining this country in all ways. I believe everyone that is a LEGAL citizen should have the same rights. If two people are lucky enough to find love then what business is it of anyone else’s. Everyone should have the right to love who they want to, marry who they want to regardless of sexual orientation. I don’t know what the big deal is all about. Love is love and that’s all that really matters. It’s time to end all prejudices and bigotry in this country but with Bush in office that’s going to be hard. He feels it’s his way or no way. We are all God’s children and He loves all of us the same. All that matters it to find happiness and be true to yourself — that’s a fulfilling, successful life.
Thank you for your rant! And I am really impressed with the comments people have made too. I live in Oregon where we had the beautiful few months of legalized gay marriage, before it was ripped away. I was so proud of us… for a few months, then I was disapointed and disgusted. I can not begin to understand why there can be legislation on LOVE! How is that possible in this “free” country, who on EARTH has the right to dictate who you can love and marry? It is beyond me, it is discrimination. My boyfriend and I have been together now for almost 5 years. We are committed to eachother, we want to have a family, etc. However, we have made the decision that we will not be getting married untill it is an equal right. Neither of us can take part in a ceremony and a union that right now is so connected to discrimination. Plain and simple, marriage should be an EQUAL right.