Why won't Republicans allow Gays "The Right to Pursue Happiness" through marriage?

Question

This is supposed to be a free country.

Then we have the Republicans who's idea of "freedom" is telling people how to live their lives.

Answer 1

For the same reason that conservatives have :

-Fought the abolition of slavery

-fought the Civil Rights Act

-Fought to ban Blacks from the military

-Fought against the introduction of Social Security

-Fought to prevent the enactment of thousands of laws that eventually stopped the slaughter of humans in the mines and factories of the Robber Barons.

-Fought the introduction of Medicare

-Fought to extend the right of voting to females.

-Fought tooth and nail every law that protected consimers/citizens against the abuses of free enterprise .

-Fight like hell against every effort to curb the gun culture which slaughters over 30,000 citizens every year.

-Fight like hell to ensure that in the RICHEST NATION IN THE WORLD and in a CHRISTIAN COUNTRY UNDER GOD that universal health care is not extended to include the 48 MILLION CHILDREN OF GOD that have no health care coverage.

-Fought and continue to fight against any notion of global warming as our world continues it's slide into oblivion.

-Fight to ensure that a Black 16 year old caught having oral sex with a 15 year old gets TEN FRIGGIN YEARS IN PRISON.

- Fight to retain the right to LIE to citizens for why their loved ones were/are sent to be slaughtered in their illegal war of choice that so far has seen the slaughter of over 400,000 innocent civilians.

-Fight to ensure that all the rest of the world has absolutely NO right to persue HAPPINESS if it stands in the way of America's Interests (READ PROFITS).

The list goes on for ever but I think you get the point.

The moral/ethical bankrupcy of the conservative ideology is amply attested to in the historical record all around the world.
It is an ideology all about maining the STATUS QUO on all issues from economic to social ones.

It is a vile philosophy that champions and protects the wealthy both individuals and corporations all at the expense of the 99 % of the rest of us.

Look to virtually all atrocities and barbaristic acts and you will find the conservative ideoilogy at the root of most of mankinds horrors .

Answer 2

There is nothing to prevent gays from pursuing happiness by forging a lifelong partnership (other than anti-cohabitation statutes in a few states that preven even unmarried heterosexual couples from living together). The ultraconservative fundamentalist Christian ilk simply feels the need to continue to discriminate against a group of people and advocate "special rights" for Christians. To this deranged segment of society, freedom only applies to them. All others can only be truly free by adhering to their warped worldview.

I have to disagree with some posters on two points:

1.) If marriage is solely about procreation, then a lot of marriages currently between straight couples who either are physically unable to or refuse to rear children would be null and void. Since marriage is currently legally defined as solely between a man and woman in every state (except MA), then such a procreation prerequisite would be obviously deemed unconstitutional in every state.

2.) When it comes to civil rights and/or equal protection under the law, economic concerns should not even be relevant. Yes, such a "drastic" change in the law to include homosexual partnerships would force the gov't and private businesses to recognize same-sex couples in regards to benefits, legal matters, etc. However, this is simply the price to pay when the government has long discriminated against or refused to legally protect a certain segment of society for so long. When bans on interracial marriages were taken of the books in several states, it surely did cost them initially as it had to recognize such marriages. Also, since the gay/lesbian/transgendered community makes up a relatively small percentage of the population in society, I highly doubt there will be a tremendous economic impact on businesses nor would it hurt the gov't fiscally.

Answer 3

Beginning around 1000 A.D., marriages were often nothing more than trading chips used in bartering land, social status, political alliances, or money between families!

Although some brides were kidnapped, marriage by purchase was the preferred method of obtaining a wife. The "bride price" could be land, social status, political alliances, or cash. The Anglo-Saxon word "wedd" meant that the groom would vow to marry the woman, but it also referred to the bride price (money or barter) to be paid by the groom to the bride's father. The root of the word "wedding" literally means to gamble or wager.

So at its root marriage was about alliances, not procreation. Back in the far past there was no marriage, one simply took a mate and had children, or not. It became an institution with the advent of organized religion which put the whole "The God(s) need to sanctify this union, so it must fit under the practices of the God(s) religion".

Those think that the big wigs in public office do not understand that this is actually about money are simply fooling themselves.

Answer 4

Gays can live their lives any way they wish, they just don't have the official title and all the economic benefits.

To put that through by force would cause the following:

1) every business would have to recognize same-sex marraiges
2) every business would have to give them benefits at an immense and sudden increase in costs to the business, OR
3) every business would have to drop benefits to every married couple, OR
4) many businesses would shut their doors as they couldn't afford to pay, OR
5) the government would force such businesses to stay open and eventually nationalize them to keep them open, OR
6) the businesses would leave the U.S. for countries where the costs weren't so high.

How do we force gay marriage? Simple.

Make it legal in one state. Everyone get married in that state. The marriage must now be recognized in EVERY state, regardless of their own laws, as that is a Federal right.

One state can force the whole issue, and they know it.

THAT'S why a Constitutional amendment is being fought over.

Is it the right thing to do to allow gay marriage? My answer might surprise you: Yes.

Should we do it right now? NO!

Should we prepare for it? YES!

We can't afford the sudden economic changes it would cause. It would cause devastation amongst small businesses across the country, and cause economic ripples that would hurt us all.

No, thank you.
Don't push this. Gently press. Keep pressing.

You would trade ruining thousands of lives for economic benefits that are socialist in nature anyway (I wish we didn't have benefits at all).

Answer 5

Why do gays consider marriage with each other so important? What possible advantage will they have that they don't already have with a civil union? I'd really like to know?

Answer 6

its the religious right that is the issue here
if these people had their way non-Christians, non-straight people, women, and a number of other groups would be treated like second class citizens.

we do live in a free country. we should only have laws protecting people (and their property) from other people.

Answer 7

Actually they can... there is no law that says that gays can't marry. They, just like normal people, just need to marry a person of the opposite sex.... It has been this way in all societies across the planet for all time.Why do gays (and others) insist on redefining words to suit themselves.... It is not just Republicans that object to this....

Answer 8

It's just the term "marriage"; its a sacrament in most religions, so give the majority of people the term "marriage"; but I believe gays should be afforded the same rights under the term "civil union".

Answer 9

I cannot speak for all republicans but marriage is an institute made in the bible. I am not against domestic partnerships legally or whatever you want to call them but my issue is with the word marriage as this to me is a between a man and woman and it is rooted in the bible.

Answer 10

Let's get this settled once and for all.

In my best Jack Nicholson voice from " A Few Good Men"


'YOU CAN'T ACHIEVE HAPPINESS THROUGH MARRIAGE!!!!!! "


What does marriage have to do with freedom?
But if you gay folks want to be miserable like the rest of us ...Go right ahead