In sports, the game is what it is. Players practice, coaches coach, managers manage, the front office does their thing, and at the end of the day, everyone gets to see the final product come gametime. Politics and government are the opposite. Most of how the government truly operates happens behind the scenes and is well out of our control. It is nothing like sports where we see and know nearly everything and what is printed and what we read is generally true and meaningful. This is why I find discussion and debates, as fun and educational as they can be, are typically useless when they are about politics. I find myself thinking, "but how do we really know that?" during any and every discussion about politics and government; as opposed to sports, in which we have access to nearly everything and are better equipped to discuss and debate it.
That being said, I cannot help but chime in on the recent controversy here in California:
- In 2000, California voters passed Proposition 22, which defined marriage as "a personal relation arising out of a civil contract between a man and a woman, to which the consent of the parties capable of making that contract is necessary"
- In 2008, four San Francisco judges ruled Prop 22 unconstitutional, which essentially legalized same sex marriage in California.
- Proposition 8 is an amendment to the California Constitution that states "only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California"
- In Massachusetts, a father who objected to having his kindergartner taught about same-sex marriage was arrested and jailed for not leaving a meeting with school officials who refused to tell him when the curriculum was going to be taught.
- A group of San Francisco first graders were taken to city hall to observe a gay marriage. The backlash and outrage following this was enormous.
- Proposition 8 is about to barely pass with a 53/47 split. However, polls and casual observations show a strong opposition to Prop 8 amongst younger voters, which means this issue is certain to come up again and possibly be changed yet again by a more liberal younger generation.
- Florida passed a similar amendment with ease. Arizona voters voted against their version.
- This is NOT about rights. Domestic Partners have the same rights, protections, and benefits as any other spouses. This is not changing.
- Then what is this about? It is about a piece of paper that says "license of marriage" Essentially, it is about the term "marriage." Sounds trivial, no?
- So, again, what in the world is this all really about? Sing along, folks: IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.
- "Married" couples get tax breaks. If same sex couples are recognized as "married" then they can save a couple thousand bucks on taxes.
- Churches have anti-tax exemptions. However, several churches have been stripped of their anti-tax exemptions because they refuse to host gay marriage ceremonies, citing the Holy Bible, which clearly defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
- Pastors preaching out of the Bible are subject to prosecution as that has been classified as "hate speech."
- So before we go around talking about rights, morality, the sanctity of marriage, and all that good stuff, let's try to remember the cynical world we live in. You cannot blame the gays or churches for wanting to save money. Let's just stop hiding behind these masks and debating the useless stuff, because this is all about what makes the world go around. Let's be honest. It's about the MONEY, honey.
