Pleased with my state

Gay marriage.

We've talked about this before, but it comes back to us with the consideration that gay marriage is now legal in Iowa. Well, I'm not going to give my usual rant about this being the most important thing we have to talk about. It isn't. The economy, the war(s), out of control spending by the government, those are important things to talk about. Gay marriage isn't. Now by that, I don't mean to imply that it isn't a significant issue, but social behavior isn't something you can legislate. It just isn't.

At any rate, the Iowa Supreme Court decided that a ban on same sex marriage was unconstitutional. Therefore, if the ban is illegal, then gay marriage is allowable under Iowa state law. That's an important point to remember. The Supreme Court didn't make a law, as that is out of it's purview. Instead, it found that an existing law went against the Constitution, which is what the Supreme Court does. Mr Limbaugh would have you believe that this is the judiciary making law. Nope, it ain't so. No amount of ditto heading will make it otherwise.

I see the whole question in both a moral and a legal perspective. After the Iowa Court make it's ruling, effectively tossing the ban, there was much wailing, lamentation and gnashing of teeth by right wing conservatives and the bible thumping community. It was announced that if any of the county recorders in Iowa's 99 counties, felt they just couldn't issue a marriage license to a same sex couple, they would be covered by the same basic ruling that doctors have the right to refuse abortions if it goes against their consscience. An Iowa state senator is being investigated, because calls to county recorders were traced back to his office, saying that they didn't have to issue the licenses if they didn't want to, that the Supreme Court ruling was an opinion and not real law. Dirty republican pool. Isn't how you win friends and influence people, guys.

My question is this: why are people so afraid of same sex couples? Most people will answer "We're not afraid of them. After all, we agreed to civil unions." Which brings up three of the vilest words in the english language: "Seperate but equal." It really isn't. Think about this: for all you hetero couples out there, what if a governmental agent came to your door and told you "Opposite sex marriage has been declared unconstitutional and your marriage is now null and void. So sorry for the inconvenience, but we will let you stay together in a civil union. It's kinda like marriage, but without the legal protection." The cries of outrage would be so loud, God himself would be able to hear them.

Watch the news. Read the papers. Listen to the radio. This world seems like it's going to hell in a handbasket. And picking up speed. If two people, be they man and man, man and woman, or woman and woman, find some measure of happiness together, who are we to deny them that? In these days of insta-marriage and even faster insta-divorce, committment is hard to find. So when two people want to commit to each other...LET THEM! It will make the world a better place. (Unless you're a thumper or right wing extremist. And if they are so against gays, why do so many republicans get busted for soliciting for gay sex in some bus station rest room? I'm just sayin'...)