Duck! It’s the end of the world!

Yes my friends, today is 6-6-06. I’ll wait while you go and check out the calendar, say a prayer, and down a tequila shot. Not necessarily in that order. Yes, “It’s the End of the World as we Know it!”…love that song, perfect in “Independence Day.” Thank God (pun intended, BTW) that’s not a full moon too or all the crazies would be out. And if you think full moons don’t have any relation to anything, you’ve never been around my house. I swear, the boys are tuned into the moon like no one else I’ve seen. I know when it’s a full moon, ’cause I want to drop them in a ditch and run. Kidding!

But it’s also the end of the world as we know it because today Congress is going to debate adding hate to the Constitution. Yes, them be fightin’ words, but that’s how I feel. (As a side note, I’m on a couple of mommy blogger rings and I’m sure I’m not going to make any friends here. If you don’t like what you read here, please don’t go all Ann Coulter on me and leave hateful messages, just go on to the next blog)

I have several gay and lesbian friends. And all of them…wait, lemme do a mental math check…yup…all of them are in long-term committed relationships. I have more single hetero friends than I do single gay friends. Why should my friends not be allowed to marry? Seriously, I have yet to hear one single reason why, other than “it’s wrong”. Forty years ago it “was wrong” for people of different races to marry. How is this different? How is gay marriage going to harm or minimize my marriage? Tom and I have been married for 10 years next month, together for 13. Some of my friends have been in their relationships at least that long, if not longer. In this day and age of 50% divorce rate, ten years married is pretty good. Could you imagine being in a relationship that length or even longer without family support (or being disowned by your family), with society looking at you as an aberration, knowing that if you or your partner were injured or killed that you would have no rights?

Then there is the argument “think about the children! Won’t somebody think about the children!” (bonus points if you know where I got that quote). You know, kids are pretty darned resilient. And they learn, as truth, what we teach them. If we teach hate, they learn hate. If we teach tolerance and love for our fellow man, they learn that. Children of gay/lesbian couples are not at a disadvantage because they have two moms or two dads. Being loved and accepted and taught by two people who love you is more important than that. Then there’s the argument that “a child must have a mom” or “a child must have a dad.” Yeah, I’m sure single parents love that argument, especially those whose spouse died.

It’s pretty obvious here that I feel strongly about this issue. And I don’t know why I feel so strongly about this, I just do. Unfairness and hypocrisy really get under my skin. And before you think I’m some hippy throwback to the sixties (hey, I don’t live that close to Boulder!), let me share a few details about me.

I’m a churchgoer. Damn near every week. And I swear like a sailor.

I’m a raving liberal, but a registered Independent. I can make up my own mind, thank you very much.

I’m a stay at home mom of two children, happily married. I don’t think my decision is right for everyone, hell, some days I don’t think that decision was right for me! But I don’t tell others what to do.

My philosophy of life is simple:

• Do unto others
• Love thy neighbor, even when you disagree with them
• Cast not the first stone
• Turn the other cheek
• I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it

Oh, and this last one:

• This family isn’t a democracy, it’s a Benevolent Dictatorship

That’s so, if the boys ever read this when they get older, they know where I stand. LOL

I do NOT agree with adding an anti-gay marriage amendment to the Constitution. Legislating hate is not right. What would be next? That frightens me.

So I’m watching this debate with interest and trepidation. I hope and pray that calmer heads prevail and that this issue will blow over once again. I also hope and pray that eventually the country realizes that we have greater issues than the love that two people have for one another, regardless of what sex they are. I want my sons to grow up in a country where acceptance is the norm, not the exception, where it doesn’t matter what two loving adults do in their own home, where religion and faith guide the person, not the government. So we’ll see.

Enjoy your “unholy” day. ; ) Have a stiff drink at breakfast, dance naked by the light of the moon, and have a good one.