Is the issure of gay marriage really that important?

Question

Are ANY of these critcal issues less important:
Iraq War
Isr.-Pal. Conflict
Deficeit
Education
Gas Prices
Global Warming
Social Security
Minimum Wage
Undocumented Citizens Crisis
............. .............................. ............. the list goes on

So why is gay marriage even being discussed in Congress, when all these more important topics are being put on hold?

Answer 1

It's probably that important to gay people.

Answer 2

Because Republicans are floundering in their ability to do anything worthwhile in this country and, despite the fact that gay marriage will do nothing to the Christian right, they find this to be a deeply polarizing issue. The Christian right is the GOP base, so the Republicans, who have almost no positive actions to show before the election, must do something to convince their base to go to the polls. It is sad.

What I'd love to see, though, is a presentation in Congress stating that two people want to provide for the same rights as are garnered by marriage - ability to see each other in the hospital, be covered by insurance, the estate automatically going to the other party, etc. Not agreeing with the "marriage" aspect seems to me to be far less problematic than the fact that families who raise children do not have adoptive rights, trusts & estates rights, etc. And to think - the GOP USED to be the party of LESS government regulation...

Answer 3

The Massachusetts Supreme Court made gay marriage an issue in late 2003 when it forced the state to legalize such unions. If not for such legislating from the bench, gay marriage probably wouldn't even be mentioned in Congress today.

Having said that, to bring it up as an issue again in the months before elections reeks of pandering to religious conservatives.

Answer 4

Yup, and the list WILL keep growing if Congress keeps on the way it has....meeting VERY few times this year and stalling on decisions. So, let's not criticize what's on the list, but those who are making the list so much longer. Gay marriage is important because it targets the rights of certain citizens in our society. It still belongs on the list.

Answer 5

All of these issues you've listed are very important. However, gay rights is also an extremely important issue. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender couples and families are denyed the rights that straight people daily take for granted. For example, I work in an insurance agency, and we have a lesbian couple that we are providing homeowners insurance for. Legally, thanks to their respective divorces, they are forbidden to own and live in the same house full time. So one of them stays in the house full time, while the other is only able to come live in the same house during the summer. There is so much red tape that homosexual couples have to cut through to get the same rights as everyone else, with insurance, with schools, paying taxes, owning homes and property, the list never ends. All they want is to be equal to everyone else, but since our government is under the thumb of the closed-minded religious conservatives, they're having to fight for their rights to equality. Love is love, it shouldn't matter if they're the same sex. These issues you've listed are not less important than gay rights, but in my opinion, they are equally important.

Answer 6

Because, they need an out. Everything you listed there has a huge problem. Ever see that Family Guy where Mayor West does this whole thing against gay marriage so people will forget about the bad stuff he did earlier? Yeah, that's why.

Answer 7

I agree with you, in the grand schme of things, with the Middle East in crisis, thousands dying, unemployment, spiralling gas prices, then it's not only petty minded but vindictive to be making such an issue of gay marriages. After all what joins two people is love, and surely that is far more important than hate and war.

Is'nt it odd though that the politicans who place gay marriages high on the agenda and create such a big issue of it, always claim to be 'Christian' . If two adults wish to marry in church, then it really should be of concern to no one other than them. We really do not seem to have progressed from a Medieveal age. Sadly our country is being held back by two many small minded bigoted little white christian red necks who are more keen to profit from war and massacre of civilians than to allow two people who love each othe to bless that union in the eyes of God and the law.

Answer 8

I wish I had a decent answer for you other than the fact that sometimes, our government doesn't make sense.

I, personally, do not have a problem with gay marriage, although it isn't really my business. I don't believe that homosexuality is moral in the eyes of God, but God may think otherwise. It's certainly not up for me to decide.

I think that our government should be putting their energies elsewhere, though, until all of this war on terrorism crap is over.

Answer 9

Different issues are important to different people.
Since the homosexual movement is trying to redefine the one social structure that has kept humanity civilized since its existence, with a real chance of doing so, I think it is an important issue for both pro and anti-gay marriage politicians.
Just because people aren't dying or losing money doesn't mean that this isn't an important issue.

Answer 10

All the things you mentioned are important. The government just wants to have a finger in every pie, as the old saying goes. It's all politics.

Answer 11

I was thinking about that recently.
In the old days of the peoneers, they made laws to protect values.
For instance, if someone committed suicide, they would drag the body behind a horse ridden by someone, to shame the person for DOING itt. The OLD guys I think, should be the NEW guys. I think that VERYONE to hold on to the values that GOT them in the WORLD!! in the FIRST place! God is unchanging, why should be try to change The Creator of US? He's very loving, and we should return the love. Eh?