I've heard about the health issues of various sports heroes. We're hearing about the support they're receiving from their families, and the sports leagues are offering their condolences to the players' families.
I've heard about the 2011 fishing opener. And I've gotten to see the stories about families going out together, representing the state as a whole.
It's great that all of these people have families to rely on. Families that their employers, their fans, their hospitals, their legislators, their insurance companies, and their boat ownership titles all consider right and legal.
Online, the news has been different.
Online, people I know are discussing the fact that there's a rally at the MN Statehouse on Monday to try to get the MN State House of Representatives to NOT send forward a proposed state constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage. Nevermind that the state already has a law banning gay marriage, the Republican-heavy State Senate passed a version of this amendment last week. Apparently they're worried that the law isn't strong enough to truly stop gay marriage from happening. They apparently don't want the stupidity of the past to be able to be overturned by smarter heads in the future. (Because bigotry and hatred is a "good" legacy to leave behind?)
Why does marriage matter? Because, without it, if Christopher or I end up in the hospital, the hospital could legally keep us from seeing each other. Legally, if one of us dies suddenly, the state can take absolutely everything we have and leave the other with nothing. Legally, we are basically unable to do any of the things which were in the news today because - legally - we're not a family.
Lobbyists are spending millions of dollars to get the state legislature to focus on this. They're ignoring larger issues which could actually make the state a better place (like balancing the budget, or working on creating new jobs). In fact, the state House did, today, pass a law allowing the use of "deadly force" to protect yourself - with a registered firearm - in not only your home (that's already on the books), but also in your garage, your car, your tent, or your hotel room.
Apparently giving people the right to kill the maid when she accidentally enters your hotel room is a good thing, while giving Christopher and me the right to a marriage and equal rights and protection under the law is bad?
Where is the right and smart and ethical in that?
1 comment:
The State governments and the Federal government continue, unfortunately, to be controlled by idiots. The Legislature of the State of South Dakota spent four-fifths of its session setting up laws to require any female in need of an abortion to wait ten days after seeing a doctor to "make up her mind if the abortion should be performed" while ignoring that our schools will have to be funded by bake sales in the coming year.
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