A NOTE ON A “MORAL” SUBJECT

Just a quick little thing: since I was just listening to The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC, and heard conservative columnist Ruben Navarette Jr. going off about how he’s sick of “liberal elitists” calling people who are against gay marriage anti-gay or “haters” when they just support “traditional marriage.” It’s this kind of flawed thinking that is infuriating. What reason other than not liking, even hating but at the very least disapproving, the lifestyle of gay people is there for not approving of gay marriage. You’re talking about not allowing two people to live their own lives because you dislike or disagree with it. You’re talking about infringing on someone else’s rights. And “traditional marriage”? If we’re going with “traditional marriage,” then I expect every man to be able to get a dowry from his wife’s family. I expect every woman to have no ambition other than creating a home for her husband and children. I expect every man to be the sire of his household. In fact, I expect women to have no choice as to whom they must marry because their fathers will be able to make that decision. I also expect those women to be handed off to older gentlemen as early as 14, 15 or 16 years old. And yes, the traditions of marriage dating back to the bible actually are probably more in line with what some mormons seem to consider OK: one man, any number of women. There are your historical “traditions” of marriage. The one man, one woman, choose who you love thing that people are talking about now? That’s maybe a couple hundred years old. You know why? Because traditions change. And marriage is one of them.