The truth is, most conservatives are against gay marriage, but most conservatives are not anti-gay. I, however, have many friends who are openly gay or lesbian. In fact, we openly discuss this and laugh. Some of them are even conservatives.
One columnist wrote in Jackson Gazette: “I am a true believer in the rights of individuals regarding sexual preference, and not anti-everything like conservatives on the other side of the fence. I believe gays have the same rights as heterosexuals regarding marriage.”
Sure, it’s a free country, but it’s against journalism ethics to twist words as this. The intent of statements like this are simply to make conservatives look bad, even though the words are false. Sure some conservatives might be anti-gay, but so might some liberals.
I have stated over and over again that it is not up to me to decide what is right for America, it is up to the people to decide. In matters like this, all we need to do is follow the constitution.
The 10th amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people.”
The 10th Amendment is worded as such so that the Federal Government cannot force an issue on the people, like it has with Abortion.
While abortion is NOT mentioned in the Constitution, the Supreme Court somehow found that it was. However many times I’ve studied the Rowe-v-Wade ruling, I simply cannot understand how they found Abortion to be legal by means of the same Constitution that I just read. Abortion simply is not mentioned in there.
None-the-less, we have to go by what the great court has concluded. After all, what the Supreme Court says is law. That may not necessarily be the initial intent of the Constitution either, but thus is a discussion for another day.
It would be more fair if the people decided the abortion issue. If the Supreme Court would have correctly interpreted the 10th amendment, that is exactly how it would have ruled in Rowe -v- Wade.
And, if that were the case, abortion would be legal in some states and illegal in others.
Same for gay marriage. This issue should not be decided by the Federal Government; not the Federal Legislature, and definitely not the Federal Judiciary. It should be up to the states to decide on the issue. Marriage is simply not mentioned in the Constitution, and the states can do with it whatever they want -- the Fed can’t.
That is, if we follow the 10th Amendment. There is a name for this: Federalism.
My view on gay marriage is that following the Constitution is the only way that is fair for everyone. In this way, conservatives cannot force their views on the people, and neither can liberals.
However, my Federalist view on Gay Marriage does not make me anti-gay, as the media will have you believe.
10 comments:
Very HOT topic...I am going to advertise it on my blog. I am against gay marriage and it is for religious beliefs. We believe that all children born on this earth should have the right to be born into a family the way God created it. A mom and a dad. I do not believe that a gay couple should be able to adopt a child just because they biologically can not create one. This belief may impose on others but I also believe that I have a right to look at societal ills and diagnose as I see fit. I am sure many will see this as bigoted but I see it as good God-fearing sense...very courageous post! I hope you get some discussion! :)N
I think it is wrong to generalize conservatives as being anti-gay based on this stance. However, Christian Conservatives not only speak out against gay marriage but attack the gay lifestyle itself.
I don't even know why this matters. Who cares what someone else does if it doesn't affect you and doesn't harm anyone? I think/know children raised by a gay couple love their child just as much as a couple the way "God intended." I think the government should stay out of private affairs and let the states decide how to conduct marriage laws.
This is actually one of the reasons that I consider myself a "moderate Republican." I actually support gay marriage (something I expect I'll write about one of these days). The problem with leaving the choice up to individual states in my book is that marriage rights might not necessarily follow a gay couple who had to transfer from one state to another.
BTW, I think you are right on in pointing out that this is not really a conservative/liberal issue. As you know, in the last big election here in Michigan the Dems cleaned house while at the same time Gay marriage was crushed at the polls. We can safely assume that a lot of those Dems who elected the Governor and Senator voted against the gay marriage proposal.
DB...does "private affairs" include federally funded planned parenthood? should the government be sticking their noses in these private matters? let's take away the nose sticking in the form of money. I'm just saying. :)N
I would consider myself a strong supporter of federalism, or state sovereignity. Your going to have people of all sorts of opinions, and that's why I think laws should be made by the people as close to the problem as possible, as opposed to someone sitting in an office in Washington. This goes for gay marriage, gay rights, abortion, etc.
db: I agree. I think it is none of the Feds business what a person does in his private time, unless he's harming someone else.
Nikki: I think planned parenthood is a joke.
does "private affairs" include federally funded planned parenthood?
Creating legislation dictating the private lives of Americans from the Federal level and giving money to organizations people don't agree with are two different things.
DB, I disagree, I think you can't have your cake and eat it too...if you want no governmental intervention then the government should have no interference and that includes money. I am not arguing tax money from non-agreeing pro-lifers, I am saying laissaz faire all the way, stay out all together. Fund a school or a different program keep government out of interfering with peoples private lives and they can pay for their own family planning. How is this unreasonable. Money is governmental interference. :)N
Hi Freadom.
The reason why people think conservatives are anti-gay is because conservatives are the ones who are/were pushing for a constitutional ban on gay marriage. That's not the media--that's the reality of what has happened. If you're trying to ban something, it would logically follow that you are against it.
The religious/social conservative wing of the GOP bears more responsibility for the perception of conservatives being anti-gay than the media. My two cents.
Thanks everybody for your comments. I never expected this post to get the attention is has. What was I thinking?
Anthony: Excellent point. I think db made a similar point. Some conservatives are anti gay all the way. Some conservatives think gay is a disease that can be cured. That's old thinking, but some still hold those views. However, just because some conservatives think this way, does not mean that conservatives in general think this way. However, it makes for a good talking point to say, I'm not "anti-everything like conservatives..."
Then again, I understand how this might tar the reputation of the movement.
It also must be noted here that many conservatives, like myself,
are against a constitutional ban on gay marriage. IMO, how marriage is defined is something that should be left to the states to decide, not the fed. This is a right of the States and the people protected by the 10th Ammendment.
Nikki: "laissaz faire all the way." I agree. However, it doesn't seem this will become a reality anytime soon.
I want to add as well that being anti gay marriage does not make you anti gay....it sounds like gay people should be punished or something. Tammy Bruce is a lesbian and anti-gay marriage. She is a neo-con radio personality. :)N
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