TokyoNiGHTS

He's back on the push to ban gay marriage, and that can only mean 1 thing. It's election year. Time to try to scare middle America about the idea of gay marriage

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/wa..._marriage_ban/

Ms Carolyn

When will these people learn that religious institutions should not be the business of government?

TokyoNiGHTS

I think what's most amazing about this is that people continue to fall for it. They continue to lured into voting for someone because they say they can get a constitutional ban on gay marriage and that's just not going to happen. Bush is only bringing this up now because its one of the few things his party can work on because in every other category they're down because of what he's done.

Anyway I remember when the recent immigration debate started Bush came out and said that one thing we didn't need to do was divide communities and use fear tactics on people. Yet he seems to have no problem doing that when it comes to this issue.

GhostWriter

You know, I'd've thought by now everyone would wise-up and stop mixing religion with government... they should force government officials who publically use religion to promote something they want to pay a fine that increases everytime you pay it... but that's my opinion...

Lexis

Here we go again. I turned on the news this morning and the first thing I hear is about 24 people getting executed a insurgent checkpoint in Iraq. Maybe I'm crazy but I'm a little more bothered about that than some stupid waste of time effort of the state to poke their noses into people's personal business.

God, what a waste of time. Do these people not think there are more important things going on in the world?

Ms Carolyn

Well, you see, that's the problem. They're screwing up so badly managing the things that ARE more important, that they're trying to distract voters with an old issue that is going nowhere, but that they've relied on in the past to scare voters to the polls. That's what these people do, they appeal the lowest common denominator. It's slight of hand. While the voters are watching the left hand, the right hand will try to get away with all sorts of things.

UnsilentMajorty

It's also a lot of people in this country's fault as well.

I'm not talking about just the die-hard Bush supporters, or Neo Conserative Extremist Republicans who think the U.S. should rule the world and everything is just "hunky dory" right now (economy; Iraq; etc).

I am talking about well educated, average people who let one single issue, Homosexuality and/or Religion, decide the fate of the nation... Which is exactly what Karl Rove prayed upon in 2004.

Also, more people in this country voted for "American Idol" than in any recent predisental election. This is a true (and sad) statistical fact. It's no wonder how easy it is to pander to the lowest common denominator when a country's priorities are like this.

What is more, I don't really care if there is no official stance on Separation of Church and State (according to certain members on this message board). The realities of the world we live in show mixing these two things is never a good idea as history has proven this is a slippery slope which leads to other terrible things in the name of "God" such as Rule by Divine Right (why the forefathers fled England), genoicide and the Spanish Inquisition to name a few.

But again, there are a signficant number of people who let only one or two issues... Like Abortion and Gay Marriage... Control their vote and I have absolutely no sympathy for what they get as a result, I.E. Bush and his ilk. Unfortunately, people who don't support Bush and his policies will suffer, but that's life in a "democracy", right?

VU&NICO

I totally agree UnsilentMajorty, and yes, it's very sad.

TokyoNiGHTS

This is why Republicans are so well organized. They have a fallback option even if everything else they're doing is going wrong. The big problem for Democrats is that they don't take the other side of this issue and try to stick to a middle ground. While there are alot of people would there that vote on religion or homosexualtiy, there are also alot of "swing" voters as they say, who don't and just want to see which party will take a firm stance on issues. Democrats still refuse to do this. And until they do they're going to continue to get beat up on this issue. That's the big issue with them. They won't so no to gay marraige, but they also won't say yes to it so the Republicans have them beat. Because they can go to their base and say no we aren't backing it and get them fired up abotu it. What can Democrats do? Say "Uhh..Civil unions?". I'm sure Dems would lose some votes if they were to back it but they'd also gain some too. It's just a matter of how much. There's just no one willing to fight back against it and Democrats continue getting backed into a corner over the issue. Democrats have to see that this is an issue that Republicans will continue to play with because it works.

This is often brought up because of what was said on AI, but its not true. They got more votes than the election, but more people didn't vote. The difference is that in AI you can vote as many times as you want which doesn't happen when you're voting for a president. And ofcourse anyone of any age can vote, also not a possiblity with presidential voting. I do get your point.

I don't have much of a problem with people making homosexuality part of what they vote about. I just find it amazing that they'd let an issue like that override other issues. Are they really so happy with the direction the country is going in that they'd let an issue like that determine who they vote for?

VU&NICO

In my country, Italy, things are even worse. You know, with the German Shepherd barking all the time, a really laical society is impossible here, alas!

mokis

In Spain, the reaction was interesting. During months the church and the right wing politics tried to make believe to Spahish people that if we approved the gay marriage everything would be like the end of the world. Now the law is voted, homosexual people can get married and nothing different has happened. If you ask normal people their major worries are the high prices when trying to buy a flat or a house and having the same job for all their lives.

And it's interesting 'cause Spain it's a country with a high catholic tradition. (Country of Catholic confession 'til 1978).

Now we are having another debate. Should be any kind of religion taught in school? Government says no but the church and the cons are pushing on the contrary. They want Catholicism taught in school but they seem to forget that, nowadays, we have other religions in this country like: islam, jews, protestants, budhists etc...

History has shown that politics and religion should never be merged

TokyoNiGHTS

Here's the new White House Spokesperson speaking on this matter

Way to stick your foot in your mouth. First he mentions "tarbabies" right after he was hired and now this.

Here's Bush from earlier tooday



All while trying to ban people from getting married.

RugarTheGreat

It seems to me that if people are so worried about the sanctity of marriage, etc...that they should worry about the high divorce rates rather than banning gay marriage. I mean, we can have Brittany Spears marry, then divorce someone in an hour I believe it was...but we can't let two guys or two girls who've been in a relationship for years get married?

*Ledi*

This is not meant to be an offense to anyone, but it amazes me how some Americans always like to brag about all their freedoms and rights, and how they have it better than everyone else in the "Land of the Free." That's absolutely not true at all, and things like these are a proof of that.

I cannot believe that people 1) continue to fall for this and 2) actually care about this issue so damn much when it doesn't affect their lives. It's ridiculous.

wanderer78

I don't get it either. Whether two men or two women get married is the *least* of my concerns about the US right now. The war, the economy, Katrina's aftermath, health care and Social Security, our dwindling freedoms. Those are far more harmful to the US right now. And those things are just the tip of the iceberg. Honestly, I can't be civil anymore about this. I want Bush's regime gone yesterday. I don't want to wait until 2008.

But I digress. I usually don't find Jay Leno funny, but he had a pretty good point here: