Now don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled that the majority of the people in beautiful New Hampshire are not interested in passing this Prop8 wannabe. Pleased as punch that, if not supporting same-sex marriage itself, they don't want to take rights away from people who have fought hard to gain them.
But it shouldn't matter what the majority thinks. The tyranny of the majority is a fickle thing. I have the support of the majority in this case, but that doesn't make my marriage any more or less moral or permissible or beautiful. Democracy doesn't mean that proportionately small groups of people get to live like humans when everyone else finally decides it's okay.
I appreciate all the straight allies to the cause of marriage equality out there, I really do. And gay rights would not have the foothold they do today without all the people who respect our humanity even while not understanding or approving of our orientation. But the votes in favor of my relationship do not render it worthy. When legislators and politicians get this through their thick skulls, I will feel a lot better.
Your reasoning strikes me as not only logically sound, but -- perhaps more importantly -- psychologically sound.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you. It's always nice to hear that I'm making sense. I think the thing that baffles me is that politicians don't seem to grasp it, and while my expectations of politicians aren't generally very high, the one thing I expect them to have an understanding of is basic civics.
ReplyDeleteI think our political class largely lacks any real conviction in what many of us think of as the core values of the country. Liberty, political equality, fairness, etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd I suppose because of that, and because of other corruptions of our political class, we could be headed either for third world status, or for some kind of day of reckoning, such as we've just seen happen in Egypt.
But whatever the outcome, sooner or later, something has got to give.