“[There is] no question that many average gay Americans want the official sanction of marriage for the best of reasons: to honor passionate commitment and lifelong relationships. It’s essential for those who defend the traditional definition of marriage to make the case that marriage is worth preserving, when the consequences of winning the debate include disappointment, humiliation, and anger among gay people who wish to be married.”
This post is worthy of a full read - comments included. I would only add that – it seems to me – there is no question that history has proven the superiority of a committed, monagomous, male-female nuclear family for the protection of the young, and in the longer term, continuation of the human race.
Traditional marriage is the “gold standard” of human relationships, and not all who try can or will succeed. But is that reason enough to lower the standard?
"Gold Standard" is a great way to put it, I'm going to use that from now on.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is funny, most arguments do boil down to "Marriage is weak right now, at least with gays it'll have some flavor again."
But a marriage should only exist if children can "pop" out, otherwise it's not an expression of much more than the desire of couples to throw elaborate parties. That's the only reason a society would NEED to recognize marriage, gays should get the rights they desire through adoption or legal identity. Cause it's so hard to pay a lawyer to protect your rights? What? My Dad's a lawyer, you say? I don't see what that has to do with my opinion. :)
But yeah, with so much well meaning emotion behind it, it's difficult to go on "attack" about.