A Few Notes On Politics

Kentucky Politics
I just noticed that Governor Ernie Fletcher is running for reelection in Kentucky. Seriously, what kind of superiority complex must he have? First he runs his campaign based on a promise of cleaning up politics. Then he spits in the face of everyone who might have been naive enough to believe that by running one of the more corrupt administrations in recent history, complete with an indictment to prove it. And now he decides to run for reelection? I can just see him sitting in his office sneering at the entire state, making out every single Kentuckian as a pure idiot. How stupid he must think his constituents are. I only hope he's not right. Voting for him is like kicking yourself in the head.

National Politics
And so Bush is back up on his platform railing against gay marriage. Interesting how this issue has been ignored since his reelection but is now back on the table as mid-term elections near. This couldn't be about politics, could it? Unfortunately, that's exactly what it is. It's not about what's right or what's fair, but about what will keep people so fired up that they will ignore all the other issues when it comes time to vote. It's disgusting.

I just don't understand the grounds for outlawing gay marriage. The only rhetoric I ever hear is that the Bible says marriage is between one man and one women. I don't know if this is true, because I've never read the Bible that closely, but I do know that we are a secular nation, so it really shouldn't matter one lick whether the Bible says marriage is between one man and one woman or between one man and one cow or between two women, a siamese cat, and three aliens. It's irrelevant.

As we all know, marriage is a civil institution. Just going to a church and having someone say you're married doesn't cut it in the eyes of the government. You have to apply for a marriage license and have it processed by the state. Marriage is an institution set up to provide protection under the law. Marriage guarantees the right to make medical decisions for a loved one who is incapacitated, it guarantees the right to joint ownership of property, it guarantees the right to file taxes as a couple, it guarantees the right to be covered by a spouse's insurance. Why should two people who love each other and are committed to sharing a life together be denied these rights? What good reason is there for it? What if you were unable to marry your partner of choice because the government denied it - maybe because your partner was the "wrong" race, or age, or weight, or political orientation? We'd all be up in arms over that. So tell me what is the difference?

Civil rights are meant for all people. Remember the "all [men] people are created equal" part of the Constitution? Marriage is a civil right, and thus a right for all people, regardless of whether they love someone of the opposite or the same sex. Gay marriage is not a threat to straight marriage. If you really think about, more than anything, it's a reinforcement of the importance of marriage.