Gay Marriage -Let's Just Get Over It

 Warning: 

The following is an 

Officially Sanctioned Tirade

Reader Discretion is Advised

 
OK, boys and girls, it's time for Gary to do a little steam-blowing and lecturing.

Each morning I spend some time reading the days intelligence bulletins for developments in the world news. Then I glance at a couple of headline summaries for more local news and finally I check the blogs and articles for other interesting tidbits and opinions.The past couple of days one of the big news headlines has been the Federal judge finding that California's attempt to ban gay marriage was unconstitutional. Now I am not going to spend time here discussing gay marriage and trying to tell you how to feel about it. I am just going to tell you that, no matter how you feel about it -it is time to get over it.

Let's just look at some basic facts.First off, the vote to ban it. The vote in California was 52% to ban it and 48% to keep it. That means that out of every 50 people voting in the California election, 2 more people voted for it then against it. Hardly the "substantial majority" I keep seeing in the conservative press. I heard one noted commentator (who claims to be independent but clearly leans conservative) saying how the judges ruling ignores the 7 million voters in California that voted for Proposition 8. The problem with that is he never mentions the 6 million 8 hundred and sixty thousand that voted against it, nor does he acknowledge the circumstances surrounding the vote itself. His usually "fair and balanced approach" is somewhat lacking in this case.

Why is it that no matter which way a judge rules these days the loosing side always screams "judicial activism?"? It's as bad as the immigration debate -every time you start saying the border needs to be secured you are called a racist! In this case the judge (who is not a liberal and was appointed by George Bush, Sr., no less -but in all honestly he is openly gay, a fact that was known by both side going into it and could have been used to excuse him if anyone thought it would be a problem) simply found that the ban was an attempt to legislate discrimination and therefor violated the constitution. He made no attempt to "legislate from the bench", despite what the pro-ban people are yelling.

Next, the money. The proposition was placed on the California ballet almost at the last minute after a signature petition was passed to put it there following the refusal of the state assembly to pass the ban. The Mormon Church in Utah sponsored the effort and gave $20 million dollars to promote he ban (yes, that's right, I said Mormon Church in Utah and $20 million dollars).The gay groups scrambled and only managed $8 million in time to fight it. Plus the pro ban people worded the proposition so that a "yes" vote actually meant "no" to marriage. Many voters later complained they misread it and voted wrong.

What happens next? It goes to court and we have years of legal expenses, more commercials and protests and counter protests (much of the costs being born by the tax payers). Beside the court case, the issue will undoubtedly be on the 2012 ballet again in California and the pro-gay marriage people will be ready and financed for the battle. Gay Marriage is going to happen, period. What gripes my ass is that everyone knows it. The battle will simply continue to drain finances and effort. It will cause friction and be a source of contention until it finally passes. I know it, my friends know it (even though they sometimes will only admit it in private) and if you take a moment to think it out, you now know it too.

For what? Because we are worried about 2 people of the same sex getting married? Give me a break! Who flipping cares? All that money, all that time, all that creative effort could have gotten Nancy Pelosi and Babara Boxer out of office and given the Republicans a majority in the State Assembly in California! Many of the gay voters are actually very conservative but this issue chases them into the arms of the Democrats!

Have we all lost our minds? Is this the issue we should be arguing? Shouldn't we be trying to stop the Mosque from being built at Ground Zero, making sure our troops are supported and equipped, fighting terrorism, securing the border, helping the people on the gulf coast recover from the oil spill and helping President Obama start having to draw on his unemployment issurence?

Let's get our damned priorities straight (no pun intended) and let's just get over it and get on with the important crap!

Tirade Ends Here, Thank you.