Political Communication blog

I feel Miss California did right by sticking to her beliefs. That's like someone asking him the same question and he gives his opinion. He was very wrong for bashing her and calling her out of her name. I mean she's not the only one that believes that way. He should be use to people feeling like that and shouldn't have acted out in the way he did. I truly have nothing against the gay community but I don't believe they should be legally married. It's wrong and it goes against my beliefs also. Other then that they can do whatever they like but giving them the right to be married legally is like condoning something that I am against. And as far as Perez he was wayyy out of line and someone needs to call him out on that.
 

I've had an ongoing argument on the issue of gay marriage with an old friend for years. My position is let them get married, his position is that it's wrong because of his religious beliefs. He actually supports gays having all the legal benefits of being married, only without the word itself. A full civil union is fine with him, just don't call it marriage. I just can't get my mind around a thought process like that. "X" is ok, as long as you call it "Y".

Perez was venting. I haven't seen it, but considering the behavior he's known for (drawing certain things over papparazzi photos of both actors and actresses he dislikes), I can imagine how bad his attack would be.

However, something that I find I can do very well, that my friend cannot, is put myself in someone else's shoes, and do a thought experiment on how it must feel to be that person. Put yourself in Perez' shoes, or some other gay person you know yourself (we all likely know somebody). How must it feel to be that person, who is constantly reminded that he is considered by so many people an outcast? An abomination? In other countries, or in other times, a person like Perez would be put to death. Only a few decades ago, this state would throw you in jail-- or worse-- if you were a black person trying to marry a white person. Even if you looked white, the state would try to prove that you had a certain amount of black blood in you-- in order to throw you in jail.

Part of my argument with my friend is to ask him what does the marriage of two people that he doesn't know and will never know, matter to his life.

Is it the idea that just knowing some sinning is taking place somewhere in the world just too much for him? There's no shortage of sin in the world, and aren't we all sinners anyway, if you believe in that?

He says that it destroys marriage, this "sanctity of marriage" that we constantly hear about. No it doesn't. You know what destroys marriage? The greater than 50% divorce rate, something that is contributed to by several prominent anti-gay marriage leaders like Rush (at least 3 failed marriages), John McCain (admitted adulterer) or Newt (adultery on his 2nd wife with the woman who became his 3rd wife-- while he was trying to impeach Clinton). Incidentally, Newt's sister is a lesbian, and I always found it fascinating that he is so strongly against gay marriage. The lone commendable thing former Vice President Dick Cheney has ever done is that he does not participate in anti-gay rhetoric, because his daughter is a lesbian. How someone can willingly persecute a family member for political gain is beyond me.

There is also actual evidence and statistics available to show that gay unions do no harm to the sanctity of marriage as well. Denmark, which has had legal gay marriage (under the official name registered partnership) for 20 years, has actually seen its divorce rate decline over those last 2 decades. You can't argue gay marriage lowered the divorce rate there, but you certainly can argue that it didn't hurt it.

My challenge to my friend and anyone else is that they have to prove why two men getting married is so harmful to them. Hurt feelings simply do not count. There are a lot of things that go against people's beliefs, yet has no effect whatsoever on their lives unless they allow them to. If your hands are sore from wringing them over gay marriage, then that's your own problem, not the gays.
 

I think it's ridiculous that Perez acted the way that he did, and I'm impressed that Miss California responded the way that she did. I really respect her for standing up for what she believes in. Perez lashing out like he did is absurd. He needs to just get over it. Just because some of us don't agree with gay marriage, doesn't mean we should be ridiculed for it.
 

I believe that same sex marriage is wrong. And for that I have to cite my religeous beliefs. Along with that, I believe that homosexuality is wrong as well. Again, citing what I believe. There are things that you will hear Christians say and reasond why they don't support it, such as: it destroys the sanctity of marriage or it is ruining the family. But the reason why I velive what I believe is because it's what the Bible says.

That being said, I look at homosexuality no different than any other thing I see as wrong, from abortion to lying. I don't understand why we have lifted some things onto a pedastool as if they are the ones that are REALLY bad. It doesn't matter if you killed someone or cheated on a quiz, any sin committed has separated us from God, as I believe. So I'm not going to get on a pedastool and say that the family will be destroyed if same sex marriage is instituted, I just don't believe it should happen based on what I believe. And I don't have the right to force my convictions on someone who doesn't believe the same thing I do.
 

Even though her beliefs may have cost her the crown, I respect that she stood behind her beliefs. If she would have won while standing behing her beliefs she would have been more grateful if she would have just said what people wanted to hear. I would have done the same thing. If my beliefs will cost me something in life, then I will stand by them and cut my losses instead of being fake to win something that is usually materialistic.