About Prop 8 and That judge.

Recently I had a conversation about the California marriage referendum and the action of a federal judge negating the will of 7 million voters. Opposed to the judge's actions, I was challenged on the grounds that the law could not deprive one of their "rights". As someone with Libertarian leanings, I agree that the government needs to butt out.

But, when, exactly, did marriage become a right? If a man has a right to be married, some woman is obligated to marry him. What if no woman wants to marry the creep? If he has a right to be married, some woman must marry him. Are we all "endowed by our creator" with that right? (Sorry, lady. I have a right to a wife and you're it! Start rattling those pots and pans!)

Do you still think of marriage as a right?

And, if marriage is a right, why isn't polygamy? Certainly polygamy has greater historic significance than gay marriage. Think Solomon! Marriage is not a right. It is a tradition.

Marriage between one man and one woman is a tradition that has existed for a millennium. In my eight-plus decades of stumbling through life, I have come to the conclusion that ancient traditions became traditions through the test of time. It is terribly egotistic to think we are the first generation to think of something other than traditional marriage. Surely it has been tried. Surely it has failed the test of time.

Can we imagine why?

Statistics regarding single women raising (actually flunking at raising) kids are mind-boggling. Children with idle time at home with no parent in the house are much more likely to become troubled children. Single moms raising kids are overwhelmingly poor. Another recipe for troubled kids.

Lower birth rates are a death knell for any society. We need child-bearing families. Not easy for gay couples.

I could go on and on with the sad statistics of spouse-less parents and parent-less children. But the facts are simple... gay marriage satisfies only the selfish desires of two people. It benefits no one else.

Certainly we should not deny two people who love each other the joy of spending their lives together. But neither should we call them "married", and shout their relationship from the rooftops. Instead we should be promoting the virtues of traditional marriage... the benefits to both the husband and the wife, the benefits to children from having a mom and a dad, and the benefits to society from a generation of kids likely to be more successful.