Robert E. says "I did do a three year stint in the Peace Corps and my wife is from Morocco, and I like to think I am a bit more progressive than most of the knuckledraggers who live with me in the State of Oklahoma"
The gay marriage laws
by Robert E., Nov. 7, 2004
Hi, I hope my little diatribe finds you all well and having a great day! I really appreciate being able to participate in your forum. It is a privilege, and I thank.
I just wanted to comment on gay marriage. Personally, I am a heterosexual male who is married and has two boys. I am also 'mighty white'. However, I did do a three year stint in the Peace Corps and my wife is from Morocco, and I like to think I am a bit more progressive than most of the knuckledraggers who live with me in the State of Oklahoma.
I just had to write you as I just had a long argument with a co-worker about gay marriage.
Nice job cutting through the crap.
We lived in San Francisco for a decade, and spent plenty of time with gay families. The most important difference i noticed was that they were generally more fun to hang out with than straight families. But that might have been a San Francisco thing.
As for your co-worker, I try to never let anyone get away with introducing religious arguments in political discussions. I'd tell her my religion requires her to wear nothing below the navel, and I want that to be federal law ...
=H&HH=
You see, my co-worker kept arguing it's a cultural and religious thing, but I begged to differ with her in every way as I spent a good amount of time in college thinking about going to seminary and the argument just don't hold up. I told her that if you want to argue from the viewpoint of the Old Testament, or even the New Testament, then why just pick on gay marriage?
If I remember correctly, there is something in the bible about charging interest rates, right? So, when all these mighty white and mighty religious people make to the tenth quintile, then how come they go against god and charge interest to the point people have to declare bankruptcy? What about the ten commandments? Why haven't we re-outlawed adultery? What about lying? I mean, if we are going to legislate what gays can do with marriage, then shouldn't we shed all the hypocrisy and engage in making laws to return us to pre-Victorian righteousness? How many of the ten commandments do you know of that have been made into law in the U.S.A.? Why don't we still have slavery? Doesn't it say slavery is OK and all slaves should obey their masters? At least the Jews and Muslims don't eat pork, as you may know? I even have to applaud the Muslims in that none of them charge interest rates, at least the ones who are true to their religion don't. How come we let women vote anyway? Aren't they suppose to submit to their husbands' wills? So, how come we have just decided to pick on gays? Don't you guys out there want to have concubines and slaves to do your bidding like they still do in Saudi Arabia? Sounds to me like those so-called 'towel heads' have you all beaten to hell and back in the biblical morality game.
And what does history show us? What if Lincoln had left it up to the states to decide on slavery? Would we still have slave states today? Isn't the Supreme Court of the U.S.A. supposed to stand up for minority rights? I wonder how many so-called religious African Americans voted to outlaw gay marriage? How many of you so-called men and women can honestly state a gay marriage has affected your own marriage, or even your life for that matter. Have you ever spent time with a gay family? If so, just how different was it from your own?
Man, this is somewhat confusing, isn't it? I have come to believe that millions of Americans have decided to vote based on envy, fear and spite. Naw, it couldn't be that. Could it? What was it that the progressive group "They Might Be Giants" sang in the song Ana Ang? Oh yeah: I don't want the world; I just want your half".
Take care. I would say god bless you, but I am not sure he's around to listen--my wife is a Muslim, but I am agnostic as I figure you can never know for sure.
Robert E.
