A ban on gay
marriage, Mr. President?
Get real
By Bonnie Erbe,
Opinion from USNews.com on the Web, June 6, 2006
Let's see. We have a war in
Iraq we're losing, with reports of sectarian violence reducing parts of the
country to states of anarchy.
We have oil prices soaring and a nuclear standoff with major oil producer Iran.
We have rising interest rates, a slowing economy, a billowing federal debt, a
sagging stock market, and a plethora of domestic and international issues we
must address.
What do the president and the Republican Congress place at the top of the
legislative agenda? A ban on gay marriage.
Gay marriage certainly does not top my legislative agenda. I'd fight to
the death for equal rights in most regards for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and
transgendered individuals. Any discrimination against them in employment,
housing, education, etc., is unacceptable. But — like many Americans, I
would wager — I've not yet come to the point where I feel strongly enough to
support or oppose gay marriage.
If anything could push me into the "for" camp, it's religious zealotry's control
of the Republican Party, as exemplified by the president's ridiculous push for a
constitutional ban on gay marriage–one that, we all know ahead of time, won't
get the votes it needs in the U.S. Senate. Does he not recognize how
foolish he appears? Apparently not.
Wake up, Mr. President. Look at your job approval ratings. Look at
the public you've so sorely disappointed. Get serious, and get to work on
real issues.
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