Proposition 102 - Marriage Protection Amendment
Thursday, October 02, 2008 23:43:54
Arizona Proposition 102 is basically a duplicate of proposition 107 from two years ago. The amendment defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Although this is already part of the law, the amendment would put it directly into the constitution, to prevent the law from being overturned later.
Supporters claim that this amendment will protect Arizona's families and children by not allowing the gay lifestyle to influence the public. They cite statistics that states that allow homosexual marriages have more problems with their youth, like teen pregnancy and drug use.
Opponents start out their arguments with two very important statements: Arizona law already exists, and This was already rejected by the people two years ago. They claim that the supporters are bigots who are motivated solely by their hatred for gay people.
While I support most traditional Christian beliefs and values, I disagree with the religious side on this issue. People are people, regardless of who they are attracted to. Same-sex unions are out there, and aren't going away. An amendment like this would only open up the door to take away the benefits these unions have today, like health insurance, family leave, and other important benefits. One of two things will happen: 1) Current laws will become even more restrictive, making life even more difficult for a sizable portion of the population, or 2) Nothing will change, which means the amendment was a complete waste of time. I'll be voting against this amendment.
Tags: politics
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Date: 2008-10-27 21:14:02
Name: Joe
Yea - the issue isn't even whether being gay is good or bad - it is whether the government should discriminate based on orientation; allowing some couples rights and not others (like hospital visitation)