Gay Marriage - What's the big deal?

Ok People, here's the first post.

Gay Marriage - What the heck is the big deal about it?

Sure, I know. You've got the people who say it's against their religion to agree with two people of the same sex being married (or even together, for that matter). So? No one is telling you that you have to marry someone of your own sex. No one is telling you that you have to officiate over a gay marriage. No one is telling you that you can't marry the love of your life - so where do you have the right to tell others that they can't?

You have the people that say gay marriage is going to drag down society. Baloney. Violence, war, hatred - that's what's bringing down society.

Then they raise the issue of their children being exposed to immoral lifestyles. Give me a break. You've had gays and lesbians teaching your children in schools for years. Trust me, kids don't really care about their teachers' lifestyles any more than they care about their next door neighbours - or even their parents, for that matter.

Ah, but now their children are going to have to learn in school that being gay is normal. Oh really? Maybe what they'll learn is that no matter who you are, you are the same as the person beside you. And just maybe, maybe, learning in school that there are people who are gay, will help your gay child overcome the shameful feelings he/she has that are causing him/her to consider suicide as his/her only option.

Kids today are exposed to everything under the sun. The thing I would think is the least important is whether the two guys living over on Main Street are married or just living together to share their rent.

What ticks me off the most about all this, is how much money has been spent in fighting gay marriage. I look at all the brouhaha about Proposition 8 with heartache. How many thousands of people could have been fed with the money that was spent on all that crap? This was in the midst of a recession - people were literally walking away from homes, worrying about where their next meal would be coming from - and all this money being spent to stop people from getting married? Sheesh!

You know, gay marriage has been legal in Canada and other countries for a number of years. Same sex benefits have been a part of Canada's legal system a heck of a long time. You know what? If you were to ask the average person on the street how the legalisation of gay marriage has affected their life - you'd probably hear, "Oh yeah, gay marriage is legal, isn't it? I hadn't even thought about it." It's true. Unless you are gay or you have friends or relatives who are gay, chances are, it's not even going to cross your mind.

So, how about everyone stop worrying about what their neighbours are doing and actually worry about your own life. Raise your children the way you want, with your ideals and beliefs and let other people do the same.