Obama has said, "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage.
Reasons to agree:
- It depends on what you mean by gay marriage. If it means, like what happened in Massachusetts, that parents no longer had options of limiting 2nd graders exposure to pro-gay material, then even some very open minded gay people would feel strange about taking away parent's rights to address discussions about sexuality as they see fit. If it becomes very oppressive, like it did in Massachusetts were catholic charities were not allowed to participate operate in Massachusetts as long as they did not place children into gay families, then more reasons for opposing it become apparent.
- Some people could care less about giving gay people the right to marry, but worry about judges just deciding to write their own laws.
- Mitt Romney said, “This is a subject about which people have tender emotions in part because it touches individual lives. It also has been misused by some as a means to promote intoleranceand prejudice. This is a time when we must fight hate and bigotry, when we must root out prejudice, when we must learn to accept people who are different from one another. Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians.” http://myclob.pbwiki.com/06-22-2004
- Governor Romney agrees with Obama and said, “Preserving the definition of marriage should not infringe on the right of individuals to live in the manner of their choosing. One person may choose to live as a single, even to have and raise her own child. Others may choose to live in same sex partnerships or civil arrangements. There is an unshakeable majority of opinion in this country that we should cherish and protect individual rights with tolerance and understanding. “Governor Mitt Romney, 06-22-2004 Press Release
- Mitt Romney said, "Marriage is not primarily about adults. Marriage is about the nurturing and development of children. A child's development is enhanced by the nurturing of both genders. Every child deserves a mother and a father."
- Mitt Romney said, "We're asked to change the state birth certificate. To prevent "heterocentricity," mother and father would become "Parent A" and "Parent B."
- Mitt Romney said, An elementary school teacher reads to her second graders from a book titled "The King and the King," about a prince who marries a prince -- and a second grader's father is denied the right to have his child taken out of that classroom while the book is being read.
- Mitt Romney said, "Massachusett's most difficult-to-place adoptive children may no longer be placed by Catholic Charities because they favor homes where there's a mother and a father."
- Mitt Romney said, "The price of same-sex marriage is paid by the children. Our fight for marriage, then, should focus on the needs of children, not the rights of adults."
- Mitt Romney said, "As Americans, I believe that we should show an outpouring of respect and tolerance for all people. I believe God loves all of his children, that no one is abhorred -- that regardless of the differences and different choices, we should show that same respect. As Americans, we must vigorously reject discrimination and bigotry."
- “I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman but I detest the bashing and vilifying of gays and lesbians. Most gays and lesbians are seeking basic recognition of their rights so they’re not discriminated against in employment or renting a house, so they can see their partner in a hospital. These are rights for everybody, not just some people.” Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes Oct 21, 2004
One of Obama’s pragmatic stands troubling to progressives is on gay marriage. In the Senate debate, Obama opposed the right-wing Federal Marriage Amendment to ban gay marriage nationally and said: “I agree with most Americans, with Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Cheney, with over 2,000 religious leaders of all different beliefs, that decisions about marriage, as they always have, should be left to the states.” However, Obama also declared, “Personally, I do believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.” At the same time, Obama has strongly supported civil unions, arguing that it is a way to protect equal rights without taking the politically risky approach of gay marriage. Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.114-115 Oct 30, 2007
Reasons to disagree:
- If heterosexual adults can marry, then homosexual couples have to also be able to marry to have equal rights.
No comments:
Post a Comment