I was a Boy Scout for many years. I almost made Eagle Scout, but then I started High School and joined the drama club, and they had girls. I had some great times in the Scouts and think it was an important part of my childhood.
Some of my liberal friends have criticized the Boy Scouts for their recent decision to allow gay scouts but not scout leaders. These friends don’t think the Scouts went far enough.
As you may be aware from previous posts, my attitude is always that I would rather get 50% of what I want than be the stubborn Angry Young Man and get 0%. So I welcome this change.
I think it’s better to congratulate people for heading in the right direction rather than criticize them for not making the entire trip all at once. Encouraging people to do the right thing is far more successful than being angry at them for not doing enough.
It will come. All great political change is gradual. Some moves faster than others. The gay rights movement, for instance, has moved slowly since Stonewall but has really picked up steam lately. It is inevitable.
Ironically, the change only angers the bigots, who demand strict adherence to their intolerance, unwilling to give even the slightest compromise. If we’re the ones welcoming compromise and acceptance, we will win in the end.
I’m happy to see little Rhode Island has just passed a bill extending marriage to all loving couples.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/24/rhode-island-gay-marriage_n_3149877.html
This is democracy. This is not “unelected judges imposing their will on the people.” And this is the future.
I am embarrassed to be in a state that still discriminates, and hope that Pennsylvania will one day join the rest of the civilized world.
My wife and I have been happily married for more than thirty years now. We’ve helped each other out through thick and thin, including years of cancer treatments and a current handicap because of it. We’ve never needed counseling, never cheated, and never separated. I’d like to think we are an example of what all good, loving marriages should be.
So imagine my surprise when I discover that, according to Catholic League president Bill Donohue, our marriage is a sham because we have no children. “The whole purpose of marriage is to have a family,” he said, while arguing against gay marriage. “It’s not about making people happy. It’s not about love.”
This would apparently include those who get married later in life, past child-bearing age — so for all of you seniors who are reading this: Forget about marriage. Love, according to the Catholic League, has nothing to do with it. You are doomed to live the rest of your life sad and alone if you wish to be a good Catholic, apparently.
From what I can see, plenty of kids are being born now without parents being married at all. Somehow, that happens. Apparently, being married doesn’t seem to have anything to do with that.
I do admit that I am confused by those who stand Grinch-like above it all, sneering down haughtily while trying to prevent others from having joy. Why does it hurt these Grinches in the slightest? What, does someone else’s happiness cause you pain? Shouldn’t we be encouraging happy couples in stable relationships?
But what do I know? My marriage is apparently a scam.
There are many stupid arguments against gay marriage. In fact, most of them are stupid, especially since there are no good arguments against it.
But the one that has to take the cake is the one that an actual lawyer argued last week before — get this — the United States Supreme Court.
“Marriage has to be between only men and women because, you know, kids. Gays can’t make kids and so their marriage can’t be real.”
How bad do your legal arguments have to be if you’re relying on that? Or, alternatively, how bad of a lawyer must you be?
And how much of an insult is that to people like me and my wife, happily married now for 30 years and childless by choice? What, our marriage isn’t real? It’s not legitimate?
Fortunately, there are some actual smart people on the Supreme Court who are very good at cutting through this bullshit. Let’s all hope they can get through the heads of the bigots that are there, too.
ventrellaquest.com 