The Things That Matter

Everything that I’m about to write has been said before.  But it hasn’t been said by me, at least not outside my closest friends and family.  Some of you will read this and agree with every word.  Others will vehemently oppose it.  And let’s be honest, my blog doesn’t get that many hits, so the vast majority of the population will never read it at all.  But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth writing...



When it comes to people, there are things that matter.  It matters that they are kind and polite.  Respectful and tolerant.  It is a happy bonus if they are witty or clever, talented or hilarious.

And there are things that don’t matter:  the color of a person’s eyes, the color of their skin.  Whether they make six figures or minimum wage.  The sports teams they support.  The church they choose to attend, or not attend.  The music they sing in their car.  Whether they are attracted to men or women.

Yup, I said it.  And I mean it.  Which is why whenever I see yet another protest against same-sex marriage, or another piece of legislation that sets out to ban it, I think to myself, “What a colossal waste of time.”  There are people starving all over the world.  There are people right here in the United States that can’t afford to take their kids to the doctor.  There are people who are unemployed, homeless, and terminally ill.

There are certainly issues that are worth addressing and correcting.  Two consenting adults promising to love and protect each other is simply not one of them.  Marriage needs to be an institution available to everyone, everywhere.  Period.

And I have yet to hear a shred of evidence to the contrary.  Yes, I’ve heard the commonly touted lines: “Protect the sanctity of marriage!” Divorce rates are at an all time high.  We have reality shows that end with marriage proposals.  Marriage today may have problems, but the sex of its members is not one of them. 

    “What will I tell my children?”  I know what I will tell mine.  Two people get married when they are in love and in a committed relationship which they wish to have acknowledged and recognized legally.
 
“God meant for marriage to be between one man and one woman!”  If there is a god that is worth following, we will be judged not for allowing acts of love, but for allowing acts of hatred.

And the kicker?  Few of the people who are so vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage will actually be affected by it.  Did you notice when Jill and Joe Schmoe from two cities over got married?  Unless you knew the happy couple, probably not.  So why would you notice if Jill and Jane Doe got married?  This world needs as many examples of everlasting love as it can get.

In February, Washington State lawmakers voted to make same-sex marriage legal.  However, opponents of the law gathered enough signatures to require that the matter be added to the November ballot.  If you believe in marriage equality, please vote to approve Referendum 74!  If you do not believe in marriage equality, please do not vote at all.  Kidding, kidding.  Mostly. ;)