Burnt Orange Report

Not to "jinx" anything, but it sounds like Chisum and his ilk are trying to come up with excuses if Prop 2 fails. Can they be that worried?

In addition to the poor messaging and terrible grammar, the flyers are also totally illegal. They don't have a "Paid for by..." disclaimer.

Gay Marriage Ban

The "gay marriage ban" has been put to us voters by our state legislature. HJR 6 defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine was quoted as having said, "I believe we should protect the institution of marriage. We should hold that up higher than any other relationship." It is clear that Senator Staples values marriage as the underpinning of our society. That institution is protected when those engaged in it remain faithful to the vows they profess in their marriage ceremony. It is protected when both partners at all times and in all places respect each other, are considerate of the others needs as well as their own, enjoy the blessing of physical intimacy, and resolve the inevitable conflicts that arise, in a healthy and constructive manner. Conversely, the institution of marriage is weakened when there is infidelity, domination, verbal and/or physical abuse, and when either partner uses the other for their selfish gratification.

What I find interesting about this is that I know a number of gay and lesbian couples that practice the former and a number of heterosexual couples who practice the latter. Which couples are the greater threat to the institution of marriage? Every Sunday, I observe and interact with homosexual couples who are in committed monogamous loving relationships that are a model for all who want to improve their own relationships. Some have been with the same partner for over thirty years. Some have grown children and grandchildren (all heterosexual, by the way) and some are raising young children today.

The church where my wife and I have been active members for over twenty years became a Reconciling Community seven years ago. Our congregation now has a large GLBT membership of dedicated Christians. They are active in every aspect of church life - from chairing the Administrative Council to teaching children's Sunday school. I am in a men's group that was formed so men of all sexual orientations could fellowship together and share and care for each other. That experience and others have been a real blessing to me. I come from a background that taught me to be afraid of homosexual men. I now count my GLBT friendships as among those I value most. It hurts me to think of how they must feel threatened by HJR 6 and recent moves of our legislature to prevent gays and lesbians from being foster parents. They must feel as though they were in South Africa as laws creating apartheid were enacted.

I realize that only a relative few of our population have had the kind of enlightening and uplifting experiences with the GLBT community that have been mine. As you prepare to vote on HJR 6, I pray that you will give serious thought to what our society really needs. Will those needs be met by amending our constitution? What unintended negative consequences are likely to result? Would you be willing to deny marriage to couples if either man or woman or both happened to be left handed? Would you consider the possibility that sexual orientation is no more a choice than whether a person is right or left handed or ambidextrous? Assuming for a moment that the word marriage must be codified by our constitution, why must we also prohibit cities, counties, or the state from acknowledging "any legal status identical or similar to marriage?" Why can we not become creative and substitute a Latin or Greek or some other ethnic translation of the English word marriage for the GLBT equivalent of heterosexual marriage? Or, would those most hurt by HJR 6 be willing to invent your own alternative descriptive - just as you did when you chose the word gay as a substitute for male homosexual? Would committed monogamous loving relationships under some other name destroy our society? Or, is it just possible that our society would be far better off - with much less promiscuity and the kind of self centered behavior that spreads disease and misery when committed by persons of all sexual orientations? I have resolved those questions for myself and I can only hope that reason and good will might prevail come Nov. 8.