SubscribeCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The debate will become how to tear gay couples apart, how to demean and marginalize them, rather than an abstract debate about theories of marriage.
Marriage was a recognition of monogamy, yes, but also of the dedication of the participants to bringing up the next generation. Thus married people got some special privileges for making that committment. Now, since gay marriages are strictly for the romantic end of it (leaving aside cloning and in vitro and all that) in many people's minds this devalues the raising of children.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 12:22 PM on February 20, 2004