Bush is offering a conservative pipe dream

    28

    Most of us agree that marriage is a sacred institution. Does that mean that we should feel obligated to vote for Bush because he proposed last week a constitutional amendment that would ban homosexual marriages?

    Absolutely not. Although we may agree with his morals, what Bush is offering is a conservative pipe dream that will never be realized in the next four years and will never become an accepted part of American culture. It will be under constant attack, further polarizing the nation.

    Married or not, homosexuality is here to stay and instead of concerning ourselves with the perceived social ramifications, we should concentrate on raising our children free from confusion about the morality of sex and untouched by the hate of homophobia.

    It’s funny that Bush has committed to this proposal in the wake of a very unpopular month early in the election year. Like the impractical “Mission to Mars” proposal, this is a political smokescreen. President Bush is trying to choose a battlefield that many Americans are passionate about, while shifting our attention from the real issues. With the majority of Americans in favor of traditional marriage, Bush has chosen a battle he knows he can win, but it’s not really the main event. We should not be lulled into forgetting the issues that are the real responsibility of the presidential office: Iraq, the sad state of foreign politics, and the shaky (and still jobless) economic recovery.

    Furthermore, I find it ironic that so many Republicans are devoted to the idea of small government when it comes to money, fighting tooth and nail to keep their tax cuts regardless of the increasing number of uninsured Americans, but favor a constitutional amendment, the biggest big government tactic of them all, to regulate the behavior of others. Seems hypocritical to me.

    Ed Gimbel

    Decatur, Ind.

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email