I re-watched Keith Olbermann's wondeful "Special Comment" about Prop 8 today.

[terrya]

And he said something that I've always wondered about re: opponents of our right to marry.

He said, addressing anti-same marriage people "what's it to you?". In trying to get through my anger, my hurt...just trying to figure out WHY this happened...I come back to that. How does our getting married impact some straight couple's personal lives? Or straight people in general?

I guess I've tried to understand people's hostility towards us. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe it's a waste of time.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. There is no way to make sense of irrationality.

[maddezmom]

2. I've never understood it either Terry

I'm not gay, but I can't imagine where this irrational hatred/fear comes from. It makes no sense to me at all. :hug:

[uppityperson]

3. I have heard this...

"If gays can get married, then it makes a mockery of our marriages." But the person talking to me was unable to say how it made a mockery of it.

Personally, having been married 3 times, legal hetero marriages (first in a church, second just signing papers, 3rd with friends/family 10 yrs ago and still married), seems like I make more of mockery of it than many.

I don't understand it either and will continue to directly address any who spout such nonsense.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

5. How is saying 'I do' in front of a clerk at the courthouse

.. SANCTIFIED?????????

[uppityperson]

6. It isn't. Not sure what you are getting at. Please clarify.

My 2nd, signed papers and took them into the courthouse. No religious stuff that time, just signing partnership papers.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

7. Just the argument of the 'Sanctity of Marriage'

Since secular organizations do marriage ceremonies.. just wondering how sanctificatious it could be.

[uppityperson]

9. Thanks for the clarification. It isn't. Maybe I am odd.

Having done 2 different types of "marriage", I sat and thought a lot about it before my last one, with whom I am still with. (Oddly enough. Or not.)

There are several components to "marriage", legal, religious, social, partnerships and commitments. I wish I were living in a society where the social and legal parts were what was important, and the religious part being an extra added on bit if some couple so chose. It has been enlightening for me, talking with people over the yrs that don't realize that there need not be any religious bit to a legal marriage.

Back in the early 60's, a great-aunt was married (by pastor) in my grandparent's house. I was amazed, she was my hero as she could do anything! She was OLD (40) and it wasn't a church! Now, 40 yrs later, I am amazed at people who haven't caught on yet that there need not be a religious bit.

I have Catholic acquaintances that feel the opposite, that there should not have to be a civil/legal part to it. While they are free to feel as they do, I disagree and see it otherwise.

But above all, there need to be equal rights, regardless of color, creed, sexual orientation. I don't understand why people feel so negatively about equal rights. I find it rather appalling and have been taken aback at stuff spouted by people whom I thought had more sense.

Rambling. Sorry.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

10. No need to apologize

I'm the one that indiscriminately just 'ranted' tagged to your post! My bad!

My Paradym Shift is this:

Homosexuality IS NOT a morality/religious issue. It is simply and purely a biological, sociological, and anthropological issue.
It is.. it always has been... it goes across race, ethinicity, social, religious, et al boundaries. If you want to add 'morality' to the mix, one must go across all spectrums. Adultery, lasciviousness, promiscuity, pedophilia, etc can be considered amoral or immoral, but it shouldn't be about being one type of sexual identification.

However, religion has played a major role in denouncing scientific truths whether those be astronomy, biology, or sexuality.
They have their followers tag along like sheep whatever the Religious Line may be.. so they appear to be 'good christians'.
Too many have already tatooed 666 across their foreheads so that Organized Relgiion can recognize them.

If people cannot think beyond what they are told to think... as long as we give power to others to lead us without question...
we all are at risk of being the next group to be segregated and damned by the Powermongering Charlatans... whether that difference is sexual, politicial, religious, philosophical, etc.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

4. When Prop 22 was on the ballot ...

.. someone left some Yes on 22 pamphlets on my doorstep... had their telephone number on it.

So I called them. The wife answered, I started asking questions, she said her husband would be the best one to talk to and he's not home right now.

I ended the conversation, 'Do you know any gay couples personally? Has any gay person ever done anything to you? Is there a gay member of your family?'

Her answer, 'No'.

I followed with '... so you don't KNOW anybody that you're promoting this against, so why are you even doing it?'

Her reply, "We just don't feel it's right".

I snarked, "Well isn't that fine of you. YOU making rules against people you dont EVEN know so YOU can sleep better at night."

And with that I hung up.

[nichomachus]

8. Here's your answer

Most of the people who voted against it took their marching orders from their churches. Instead of preaching about truth, love, and justice, the churches preached lies and fear -- repeatedly, week after week. They convinced their followers of the most bizarre things.

This is what one Mormon guy said when interviewed in our local paper:

“The people that advocate redefining marriage are saying basically that every religious and secular tradition from the recorded history of mankind is immoral."

That is just wrong, irrational, bizarre and nonsensical. It defies belief, but it's what these people were taught every Sunday for months.

The "religious leaders" pulled off one of the biggest scams in history.