With only one-third of the electorate supporting gay marriage (according to a recent CBS poll), this debate is not going away anytime soon.
The problem is that those with strong opinions seem increasingly louder while moderate and ambivalent observers like myself have shrunk deeper into our turtlenecks, silently waiting for the subject to change. The multiplied effect of our silence is a conspicuous absence of temperate voices which only makes an already divisive topic even more polarizing and prone to nasty rhetoric, hyperbole, stereotyping and name-calling.
To move the discussion forward, I've come up with a few recommendations to help each side argue their case more persuasively (for a change).
I watched a movie based on the real life story of Mary Griffith. She tried to get her son to pray away the gay. He jumped off a bridge in front of an 18 wheeler.
Mrs. Griffith eventually met a pastor that helped her. She became an activists for gay rights.
I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of knowing I did something to cause my child to commit suicide.
Suicide rates are high for young gays. It breaks my heart that people calling themselves Christians cannot realize God made them that way.
The word homosexual did not appear in the Bible until 1947.
Julieof CO2:26PM April 20, 2009
The conservatives had no one to vote for in the last election. If we want fiscal and moral policy that make sense the heads of the repub party must get control of the nominating process or the conservatives must start their own party.
BBauguessof WI11:09AM April 19, 2009
Americans longed for an antidote to Professor Obama's socialist ideology, but they had no idea what McCain really believes about anything. Now we know why.
j.a.m.of VA4:52PM April 18, 2009
Well I believe that tells you why McCain lost the election. He was unwilling to take a stand on moral issues.
Ronof FL4:01PM April 18, 2009
Schmidt sounds way too mature for the Republican Party of this state--or most others as well.
Asinus Gravisof TX1:09PM April 18, 2009
take on gay marriage, as expressed above.
But most Republicans DO NOT. This is one of several reasons why most of them were luke-warm to John McCain's candidacy.
The fact is, Republican orthodoxy is a veneer of religious fervor covering over the less-talked-about idea of actually advocating that private corporations should run most everything in the national affairs of America.
Take away the religious practitioners, and Republicans would probably be a minority of only ten or twenty percent of the electorate. So Schmidt is RIGHT in some ways, but NOT RIGHT that he can strengthen the Republican brand by embracing gay marriage. Can't happen. Won't happen.
Muserof NM12:48PM April 18, 2009
Bla Bla Bla when are we going to get down to fixing our economy and stop worrying about who is sleeping together. I dont care If a guy is gay.I work out at a public gym and I see guys checking me out as much as the women do and on the few times where a guy after a few minutes of talking has ask me out and I have to say no thanks Im not gay.Whats the problem. Grow up in the real world these thinsg dont bother a mature thinking man. So stop listening to the tiny pea brained jocks we went to highschool with and live in the world of day to day matters that have nothing to do with where some dudes hanging his hat.
Reader Comments
Back to blog
soundtracks of AL 7:47AM July 17, 2009
chuck soma of ID 5:16AM July 04, 2009
Dan S. of HI 4:35PM April 21, 2009
Julie of CO 2:26PM April 20, 2009
BBauguess of WI 11:09AM April 19, 2009
j.a.m. of VA 4:52PM April 18, 2009
Ron of FL 4:01PM April 18, 2009
Asinus Gravis of TX 1:09PM April 18, 2009
Muser of NM 12:48PM April 18, 2009
rong of CA 7:47PM April 17, 2009