Gay Civil Unions as a Political Statement

Since I last wrote my blog entry on Civil Unions and Gay Marriages, I've been doing more thinking. Last night, I watched an interview Bill O'Reilly had with a talk radio DJ who was openly gay. This radio personality plainly said that he is gay and is on the "inside" of the gay movement, so he knows what he's talking about. He said the sudden influx of homosexual couples to San Francisco to get married are not "getting married" for the ceremony but instead are getting married as a political statement.

Now, I wish to restate that I am willing to acknowledge Civil Unions, but not a Gay Marriage. People should be getting married because they want to be together and raise a family: not for convenience, not to allow an illegal immigrant to remain in the country, and certainly not to make a political statement. In all religions, marriage is a sacred agreement between the couple and God. To marry for purposes other than for what has been traditionally intended is disrespectful to any religion represented.

If civil unions are being pushed mainly as a political agenda, then I'm not for them. I was willing to acknowledge them because I believed there are homosexual couples who wish to be monogamous together and be a family. I still believe those couples exist. Although I admit that I do not condone the homosexual lifestyle, I do believe that homosexual people should have the rights that heterosexual people do. However, I do not support any political agenda that makes a mockery out of respected ceremonies and rituals, religious or otherwise.

I watched Bill O'Reilly as he spoke in his February 16, 2004 Talking Points memo. This brings me to my next rant. If you believe a law is wrong, then work to change the law. However, that does not mean you can disregard and break the law you object to. I'm referring to San Francisco's mayor Gavin Newsom's behavior as mayor. According to California Law as of 2000, Proposition 22 was passed by an overwhelming majority of California voters. The proposition basically stated that only heterosexual couples can marry. It is an actual law, approved by a majority of the voters. Mayor Newsom is defying that law by performing gay marriages in his city.

This is not acceptable. If a law needs to be changed, groundroots campaigning is an effective (and legal) way to get the ball rolling. Create a website! Send letters to representatives! Send letters to your friends and ask them to contact their representatives! Write letters to the editor of local newspapers! Form a group to work on getting the law changed. But whatever you do, DON'T BREAK ANY LAWS while doing it. All it will do is damage your credibility and hurt your cause. Mayor Newsom is hurting his cause more than helping it. What he views as civil disobedience is what Bill O'Reilly calls anarchy. I'm inclined to believe Bill O'Reilly.