Today I went and voted, and I faced a tough, tough decision. No, not that one about who should be President. The other one.
Florida Amendment 2, gay marriage.
Now to be fair, I have stated several times over the years on this blog if Bill wants to marry Bob, who am I to object? But this time, it's different. The state of Florida has officially asked me to give my vote.
My vote. My official opinion. My signature on a permanent document. And so I gave it.
Marriage is one man and one woman. Don't like it? Then don't ask me any more.
Next?
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7 comments:
Florida Amendment 2:
"This amendment protects marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."
This Isn't just a ban on gay marriage. Two existing Florida statutes ALREADY prohibit same-sex marriage:
Florida Statute 741.212(1) defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman and provides that the term "spouse" applies only to a member of such union (FL. Stat. 741.212(1),(3)).
Florida also adopted a Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1997 which was codified as Florida Statute 741.212.
I oppose this amendment because:
1.The petition as acting as bait for the Presidential election in order to draw out conservative voters; there is already enough legislation in place currently.
2.Health care and pension benefit plans which cover unmarried couples, even heterosexual older couples, living together and which are now legally valid may be adversely affected.
3.Article I of the Florida Constitution, known as the Declaration of Rights, establishes rights, but this amendment would instead limit the right to marry.
There are already other Florida Laws that expressly prohibit homosexual unions, so this amendments purpose is much larger than that and if passed will be used to restrict all relationships that are not a legal marriage under Florida's Statutes.
Opponents say that elderly people in the state who, after being widowed, have subsequently chosen a domestic partnership in order to retain certain benefits, will be adversely impacted by the measure.
Bottom line is in my opinion...this amendment is too far reaching. I am concerned about people who live together for years, will not have rights to assist in decision making for the health and well being of their significant other, regardless if they are two elderly people, two gay people or two people who for whatever reasons have entered into a civil union.
Then get married.
For many of the elderly...if they marry they lose their individual pensions and benefits. So...they live "in sin" to maximize the small amounts of money they both receive. They also look out for one another and are sometimes the only family they have..I've seen a lot of these situations down here in South Florida. The sad fact is..if one of them gets ill and is in hospital..they can't visit or act in their partners interest because of the law. Its a catch 22. If they marry they lose $$ if they don't..they lose rights..
According to the logic you so eloquently laid out in your argument (and indeed you wrote it well), I should be able to marry my Parakeet or my Hoover vacuum, which in the end, is the goal of the amendment.
Think I'm crazy? Think again. In Europe - where anything goes as far as marrige is concerned - they're fighting tooth and nail to keep people from marrying their pet lizard...and they're losing.
Once you open the floodgates, every creepazoid with a fantasy will come forward. But go right ahead and vote for what you want to. I will as well.
One last thing: Every two years state-wide and four years nation-wide is NOT a conservative conspiracy to overthrow the government.
Really. It isn't. Stop being so friggin' paranoid.
and of course...If you are gay the law already prohibits you from marrying. This amendment goes further in prohibiting even a civil union which would not allow the partners rights, benefits, and responsibilities for each other.
Its a complicated world any more. People form all kinds of partnerships for all kinds of reasons.
I just think it would be fair to allow them their rights..
I'm not trying to sway your opinion,or argue... just stating my view..
You can toss it if you like.
I'm not being paranoid...I don't believe in right wing or left wing conspiracies...
really I don't...just airing my view...
Thank you both for voting. Thank you both for being educated about the positions you choose to support or oppose. Thank you both for participating in the process.
It's not exercising our rights to vote, it's maintaining them.
That's all I'm going to say about that. (And I don't live in Florida).
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