According to today's Washington Post, "The proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in Virginia has sparked an aggressive fundraising effort" that could end up raising $3 million for amendment opponents and nearly $1 million for amendment supporters. What a waste of money, especially given the fact that Virginia already has a law on the books that "does the same thing as the amendment and that has never been challenged in court."Oh, by the way, that last comment was by Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), leading Virginia homophobe and sponsor of the "hate amendment," admitting the obvious - this monstrosity is redundant and therefore unnecessary. So why does Marshall, a supposed conservative, want to muck with Virginia's constitution in order to protect us all against a non-existent threat? And why does Marshall, the supposed "fiscal conservative," believe it's worthwhile for millions of dollars to be spent fighting over an amendment that replicates law already on Virginia's books?
What on earth is the point of this exercise in absurdity? Have legions of lesbians suddenly started rampaging through our streets, ravaging our wives and grabbing our girlfriends away from us? Have gangs of gay men been spotted marauding through the Virginia hills like a scene from Deliverance, luring Virginia men into their heinous "lifestyle." Hey, maybe they're even after Bob Marshall himself. Lions and tigers and gays, oh my! Hahahahahahaha. What a joke.
Unfortunately, it IS a joke. A bad one. Also an expensive one. And the joke's on us, the citizens of Virginia, who have to put up with this nonsense thanks to "conservatives" like Bob Marshall. What a waste.
The right question to ask yourself about the Marshall/Newman amendment is not "do you support a marriage amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman?"
That's not the question that will be before you when you vote in November.
The right questions are:
Do you want to ban all legal arrangements between unmarried couples whether gay or straight?
Do you want to jeopardize the safety of domestic violence victims who aren't married to their abusers?
Do you want to encourage intra-family legal battles about wills, the guardianship of children, hospital visitation, and end-of-life decisions where unmarried couples are involved?
If your answer to any of these questions is no, you should join Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, former governor and U.S. Sen. Chuck Robb, and members of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance and vote "no" in November.
This is good news. The Senate and House in Pa. could not agree on constitutional amendment language, so the legal status stays the same. Gay marriage is prohibited still, but that is subject to potential court challenge.
In Virginia,
About 47,000 people are earning at or near the minimum wage, which has not been increased from $5.15 since 1997. They make $10,712 before taxes.
More than 60% of them (or 28,000) are women. An income of $10,700 buys food, clothing, heat, gas, school supplies, books. It is about $900 per month. This is hardly enough for one person to live in one room of a shared house, let alone a family. It costs at least $400 to rent a room in a shared house in a city, and hundreds for food, phone, transportation, etc. What are the prospects for sustaining a stable family?
The cost of one week at a great summer camp for kids in the Washington D.C. area is $500-1000 – the equivalent of one month’s income at minimum wage.
About 15% of children are not finishing high school. They are starting a lifetime (60 years or so?) of financial struggle and limited work options. Our public institutions (emergency rooms, welfare, police) will pick up the burden of sustenance and trouble-shooting.
More than 50% of children are not making it to college, which would double their prospective income over a lifetime. This limits their ability to support themselves, support families, and live life beyond bare necessities. They compete with illegal immigrants for jobs with no health benefits, no sick leave, and no leave to rest or take care of family.
15% of our population has no health insurance. A trip to the emergency room costs an average of $383. A child’s broken arm, a bad case of bronchitis, a bad fall, a car accident, a death in the family, even a stroke – all of these have to be compromised or ignored unless Medicaid picks up the charges. These “small†events are catastrophic for a marginal worker on minimum wage.
Family violence is increased when people have no money, when they have incredibly long commutes, when they are sick, and when they need help. (This could affect more than 15,000 people in Virginia, three-quarters of them women.)
Gay marriage is a non-problem relative to many, many bigger issues. How about alcoholism, depression, lack of health care, poor job options, no housing, and terribly long commutes (because the affordable housing is more than 30 miles away)?
The gay life style does not detract from the property, health, or success of neighbors and fellow citizens. Nor does it draw on our public services and tax dollars to provide health care, housing, food, and jobs for those who cannot earn enough.
If we “stop†gay marriage, we directly affect and annoy maybe 14,000 people in the state or possibly 0.39% of the population. How about taking care of MORE FAMILY BUSINESS!! How about taking care of thousands of children, 47,000 workers, 13,000+ inadequately trained young people per year, 1.2 million families without health insurance?
Our representatives are spending precious problem-solving days kicking around gays.