Marriage Amendment Misinformation

This is a rant regarding the upcoming vote on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment.  If you don't want to hear my opinions or are sick of politics, wait for my next post - I promise to attempt light and fluffy there!

Today I heard a radio ad that just completely irritated me as it is total misinformation.  The ad targeted parents claiming that in other states - particularly Massachusetts - that allowed marriage to be redefined allowing same sex marriage led to children in schools being taught about same sex marriage and that parents would have no rights to have their children not be exposed to it then urging to not let marriage get redefined here.  This is so incredibly misleading... This amendment is not about allowing gay couples to get married.  The redefinement that is happening in this proposed amendment is to define marriage as one man-one woman.  So the people who are talking about the bad in redefinement of marriage are actually the one's attempting to make the actual definement of it in the amendment.  The question on the ballot is not should we allow same sex couples to marry - the question on the ballot is "Recognition of Marriage Solely Between One Man and One Woman. Yes or No" and if passed would add a section to Article XIII of the Minnesota Constitution to state "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota.".  So... the only redefinement going on is the one that would define marriage as a man and a woman.  This amendment is not asking to allow same sex marriage.  It is not about gay rights.  It is about fundamental religious factions wanting to limit marriage and write that constraint into our State Constitution.  The State Constitution.  I'll say that one more time - this amendment is not about a law - it is about a modification to our State Constitution.  The State Constitution is intended to be the foundation of our laws and 'non-changeable'.  If you want something changed, the correct course of action is by law - not an amendment to the State Constitution.  Not that I want a law defining marriage either, but that would at least be the correct course of action for this.  The bottom line is that it is promoting government intrusion in personal lives, depriving a specific set of people their freedoms (this is pretty subterfuge for the word DISCRIMINATION!) and it is mixing religion and politics in our Constitution.

That all said... here's the kicker in the whole targeting parents strategy... writing a definition of marriage being one man and one woman is not going to suddenly change the reality of our society.  There are still going to be gay couples, there are still going to be books about same sex couples and your kids are going to meet other kids that have two mommies or two daddies regardless of whether this amendment passes or not.  This amendment is not going to 'save' your children from exposure to the dynamic of what our community is made up of.  They will, if they have not already, come into contact at some point in their lives with someone who is gay or related to someone who is gay.  Considering the population ratio - I'd be shocked if it is only one person.  

And here is my religion attack... how very UN-Christian to be passing judgement based on your churches interpretation of the Bible.  By promoting this amendment based on your religious principles you are saying that you have the right to stand in judgment of other people.  You don't.  You are merely a (wo)man.  Only God has that right.  How does the relationship of two strangers affect you personally? How is that an affront to your religious views? How does it change what you believe, how you believe or where you believe?  How does it affect your marriage?  It doesn't.  All of these things can remain strong and in tact because of your faith - irregardless of how another couple chooses to live their lives.

And here is the biggest kicker in this all that I hope people are asking themselves before they checkmark a box... if at some future date my child or grandchild, niece or nephew, cousin or sibling were to come to me and tell me they are gay how will I reconcile that with myself that I personally made certain that they were never able to marry the person they love.

You might be surprised by who in your life is gay and just unable to tell you.