The Threat to Traditional Marriage and Family
The website of the Wisconsin Coalition for Traditional Marriage (http://www.savemarriagewi.org/faq.html) offers answers to 15 Most Commonly Raised Questions about the Marriage Amendment helping offset some of the misinformation that abounds in the media.
Here we'll focus on a few of the points made by the Coalition.
How would so-called homosexual “marriage” hurt traditional marriage, children and families?
1) Legal sanction of so-called homosexual “marriage” would always deny children either a mother or a father. A compassionate and loving society always comes to the aid of motherless and fatherless families. It never intentionally creates such families, and yet that is what homosexual “marriage” would do. These types of homosexual families are based on the desires of the adults, not the needs of the children. No child-development theory says children need parents of the same gender, but rather that children need their mothers and fathers.
2) Homosexual “marriage” is a vast, untested social experiment with children. No society, at any time, has ever raised a generation of children in homosexual families. In this instance, children are allowed to become the subject of sociological experiments for the sake of adult sexual desires.
3) If marriage is redefined to include two people of the same gender, where would it stop? How do we say no to group marriage? If marriage is simply about love and commitment, on what basis do we deny group marriage? There are already lawsuits underway challenging the laws that prohibit polygamy on the same grounds as used by homosexual “marriage” proponents. Is it bigotry and discrimination to oppose polygamy and group marriage? Of course not. Just like it is not bigotry or discrimination to protect the traditional and historical institution of marriage as one man and one woman.
4) If so-called homosexual “marriage” is legalized, school children will be taught it is the same as traditional marriage. The people of Wisconsin don’t believe homosexual “marriage” is the same as traditional marriage. Yet if we allow the legalization of so-called homosexual “marriage,” this will happen. There are already books written for small school children, such as Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy’s Roommate and King and King.
Are either the state or federal constitutional amendments about “enshrining discrimination” into our Constitution?
No. Traditional marriage is a bedrock institution of our communities, state, nation and society. It is not discriminatory. It is foundational. Protecting its historic definition for the sake of our children and our future is both wise and courageous, not discriminatory. Most people in Wisconsin believe homosexuals have a personal right to live as they choose. But most people also believe homosexuals don’t have a right to redefine marriage for all of society. Unless we pass the constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage, that is what will happen.
A Pragmatic Consideration
Gay and Lesbian partnerships have existed in western civilization for thousands of years. Until very recently, the idea of traditional marriage was of little importance to and in fact disdained by Gays. What changed?
Two primary developments. HIV-AIDS and the cost of health insurance. It became clear that adopting/co-opting marriage from straight society had significant advantages in dealing with these two challenges. And once this idea was run up the flag pole, all the other benefits of co-opting became apparent.
Let's be honest. We have built into our social and economic systems favored treatment to married and family raising citizens. It is this network of benefits that Gays desire. And on one level the argument of justice is persuasive.
But justice aside, the practical question is: "Is in in society's best interest to provide incentives for homosexual conduct." I submit it is not.
The GLBT community is a major contributor to keeping HIV-AIDS in play as a major health hazard. While the issue of nature vs nurture is still debated in terms of what causes homosexuality, providing a government stamp of approval will only increase the incidence of gay conduct among adolescents who are going through a difficult period adjusting to their sexuality, hormonal changes, and peer group acceptance/rejection. Legitimized as a viable means of sexual expression, more teens will experiment with gay sexual practices, more will be recruited into the life style, and more will become mobile incubators for one of the world's most deadly diseases.
Just as it is not in the public's interest for the Government to promote smoking, legitimizing and normalizing Gay sex carries great costs. While, like smoking, the choice to engage in abnormal and high risk behaviors is an entitled right of adults, the government should not be promoting it.
http://www.caids-wi.org/marriage/amendment-3.htm
