Rant - and you know why

Wow, time has flown! It's been over two months since my last post. So much for keeping this as a sort of "diary".

Anyway, I'm writing today because of the president trying to increase his poll numbers by pandering to his conservative base. Nevermind all the other issues in the country right now - education, illegal wiretapping, the war in Iraq, the ever-increasing deficit - no, gay people getting married is what is ruining this country.

Seriously?

Because marriage historically has always done so well? The divorce rate must have been very low before we let "the gays" marry, right? Oh, yeah..hmm...nope. Divorce has been around 50% for a while. So..the divorce rate will increase if we let gay people marry? Or is it that straight people will decide marriage doesn't mean anything anymore, and will abandon marriages to "live in sin"? Because there is no place in this country where people are living together and having children out of wedlock. Sheesh - would really hate to see THAT happen.

Wait, wait..it is happening already?

Why is it that the Republican platform is for smaller government, yet Bush's administration has done nothing but further invade our privacy each year? Does their "base" notice? And why introduce an amendment to the Constitution - a document used to GRANT freedoms, each amendment furthering our freedom - that plans to discriminate and restrict freedom? The only other amendment that restricted freedom was the one barring alcohol consumption. That went really well, didn't it?

No one has yet to explain to me a logical reason why two women or two men cannot be married. An actual LEGAL rational argument. This issue is so clearly a smokescreen. I can only hope the general dissatisfaction with the current administration puts this shit to a halt.

I was watching the Daily Show last night, and John Stewart had some asshole on who was defending this amendment. He clearly has no understanding of reality. John, always my hero, said one of the best lines I have heard on this subject ever:

Guest: " It's a debate about whether you think marriage is between a man and a woman."
John S: " I disagree. It's a debate about whether you think gay people are part of the human condition or just a random fetish."

Awesome.

As I write this, I'm searching CNN for news of the Senate vote. I figured it would be front and center, since they have put the impending vote on the front page since Sunday. I couldn't find anything! So, I went instead to my trusted source - the New Zealand Herald. Sure enough, under International News, they have a headline "US Senate blocks same-sex marriage bill". Why do I have to read a NZ newpaper to get news on my own damn country? *sigh*

Back to the vote. The bill was defeated by 49 to 48 votes. Pretty close, unless you consider 60 was needed to pass the bill. The House still wants a crack at it next month, but it won't mean anything.

Off to bed for me. Be warned, though...this isn't the last time I will rant about this issue.

And yes, I will update on other matters soon.