Mainstream Media’s take on the FMA

My friends and family aren't the only ones who think Bush is out of line here.  Here's a sampling of editorials and news reports from mainstream media over the past couple of days related to the FMA.  While I didn't look too long or hard, I didn't find any editorials saying "Wahoo!  Let's get this amendment passed!" 

Read on:

Boston Globe editorial:

"Gay marriage isn't a real threat. In Massachusetts, married gay couples are not masterminding terrorist bombings. They are not refining weapons-grade uranium nor are they running up federal budget deficits. Married gay couples are not monitoring their fellow Americans' phone calls and e-mails. They haven't cut Medicaid. And they didn't put that doughnut hole in the middle of Medicare's new prescription drug program."

New York Times editorial:

"President Bush devoted his Saturday radio speech to a cynical boost for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. It was depressing in the extreme to hear the chief executive trying to pretend, at this moment in American history, that this was a critical priority… All this effort to divert the nation's attention to issues that divide and distract would be bad enough if the country were not facing real, disastrous problems at home and abroad. But then, if that weren't the case, Mr. Bush probably wouldn't feel moved to stoop so low."

Sidney Blumenthal in the Guardian:

"Raising the level of homophobia and jingoism is the first act in a well-rehearsed theatre of political exploitation. In the second act, the evil Democrats, liberals, relativists, secular humanists and devil worshippers defeat the heartfelt effort of the faithful to defend the family and the nation. Then, in the concluding act, in the midterm elections, the aroused conservative masses flock to the polls in a mood of retribution to retain Republican rule of the Congress. Hallelujah!"

Newsweek reports:

"One of [Bush's] old friends told NEWSWEEK that same-sex marriage barely registers on the president's moral radar. "I think it was purely political. I don't think he gives a s–t about it. He never talks about this stuff," said the friend, who requested anonymity to discuss his private conversations with Bush."

 Edward Kennedy (my senator) writes in the Boston Herald:

"The proposed amendment is inconsistent with our values and our humanity. Americans believe in tearing down the walls of discrimination and inequality, not creating new barriers for civil rights…

"I’m proud that Massachusetts continues to be a leader on marriage equality for our citizens. We recognize that being part of a family is a basic right, and I look forward to the day when every state - and every senator - accepts this basic principle of fairness. Marriage is a solemn commitment to plan a future together, to share in life’s celebrations, and be a source of comfort easing life’s burdens and pains. Gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights as married couples under state law, including the right to be treated fairly by federal tax laws, to share insurance coverage, to visit loved ones in the hospital, to have health and family-leave benefits, and the many other protections that only come with marriage."

Pensacola News Journal's take:

"By now, even the social and religious conservatives who support a constitutional amendment to ban homosexual marriage should be appalled by the blatantly cynical and opportunistic exploitation of the issue by the Bush administration…

"Now, once again, with another election looming — and the Republican Party fearful that President Bush's mismanagement of the budget, the Iraq War and the response to Hurricane Katrina, among other issues, is dragging it down in the polls — politicians have suddenly rediscovered the urgency of saving the country from a tiny portion of the population whose actions, ironically, affirm the value of marriage in American society."

So there you have it. A small sampling of mainstream media writing on this supposed "threat" to traditional marriage.  

Now can we let the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government get back to the business that truly affects us, rather than debating about enshrining discrimination into the Constitution?  I'd rather they deal with the war, healthcare, education, the economy, and the like.  Seems like a much better use of my tax dollars than this, doesn't it?

Just say NO to the FMA!

(Warning: This is not a coherent essay.  There are few topic sentences in the paragraphs below.  It is a stream of consciousness related to the Federal Marriage Amendment, my life, and what you can do about discrimination and bigotry.) 

So the president is at it again.  Hampered by flagging approval ratings due to the mess he's made of his time in office, he has turned to bigotry and discrimination to mobilize the far-right "christian" base.  I put the word christian in quotes, because I don't believe christians who live a life based on Jesus's teachings would ever stoop the depths that GWB has stooped to.

So the president is trying to garner support for a federal amendment banning gay marriages. Well let me tell you what:  I'm in a same-sex relationship, and I am legally married to my wife. We moved to Massachusetts for a job, and one of the first things we did when we got here was to go to the town hall and legally join our lives together.  Why?  First and foremost, and most importantly, because we love each other and intend to spend the rest of our lives together.  But second, and also important, because the documentation we needed in order to prove our relationship for health insurance purposes was so prohibitively excessive that it was easier to go to the justice of the peace and get married.

My partner and I are getting married in front of our family and friends later this summer, in the meeting house in Maine where her parents were married 30-some-odd years ago.  Her parents' minister is performing our wedding.  Her mom's good friend is playing the flute in the ceremony.  My parents and brother's family and grandmother are going to be there.  My godparents are going to be there.  Our mutual friends and friends from our lives before we met will be there. Why? Because they support our relationship, and want to see it thrive and grow.

My parents had a party for us a couple of months ago - in Minnesota - and invited our extended family and many, many family friends.  Every single one of my aunts, uncles, and cousins (except the two teens who had to work, and the aunt with a horrible viral infection) came.  Every. Single. One.  Now, Minnesotans might be more liberal on the whole than the rest of the nation, but my extended family tends a lot more politically and socially to the right than do my folks and me.  And you know what?  They weren't intimidated or threatened one bit by our "gay marriage."  They know that supporting family who are entering into a relationship - a lifetime relationship - is the best way to keep that relationship strong.  

Traditional marriage is not "under attack" by same-sex couples who wish to marry.  Traditional marriage in under attack by such things as patriarchal economic systems which keep poor people poor and women earning less than men.

Of course, I don't want a "traditional" marriage.  In that setup, I'd not have an equal say in the marriage, I'd probably not have a career like the one I do now, I'd probably be coerced into having children whether I wanted them or not, and I'd be physically, mentally, and economically vulnerable. 

In my marriage, I like the fact that having children is a very active choice (no accidents here!).  In my marriage, I like the fact that there isn't any societal pressure on me to conform to a specific gender role. In my marriage, I like the fact that I feel no vulnerability because my wife and I bring equal assets, similar economic backgrounds, and stable family experiences to the relationship.  There are many things about my marriage that are non-traditional, and I want to keep them that way.

If you don't feel threatened by my marriage (and really, you shouldn't because it isn't a scary thing at all), then act out!  Tell your senators to Vote NO to the Federal Marriage Amendment. Consider this attempt to write bigotry and discrimination into the Constitution as a mobilization for the rest of the country to elect politicians who are tolerant, fair, and inclusive!  Don't let the bigots try to push same-sex couples back into the closets.  Don't let same-sex marriage be a deciding factor in the upcoming elections.  Don't let GWB wag the dog and try to distract us from the realities of the war he drug the country into, with the blessings of many of the same senators who have co-sponsored this discriminatory amendment.

Urge your senators to Vote NO on the FMA.  And then hold them and the president accountable for all the other atrocities that have been perpetrated in the name of freedom and liberty.

Other disclaimer: People heterosexual relationships can have non-traditional marriages!  I know lots of them and think that they are the bomb!

Moving Again

For the second time in less than 4 months, we moved.  In February, Amy and I left Philadelphia for the Boston area, and last Friday, we moved from our temporary apartment into our new house out in the 'burbs. 

First off, I love this house!  It was built in the 1880s, but was recently updated on the inside.  Hardwood floors, lots of original hardware, and wide trim on all the baseboards are some of the wonderful original touches.  However, the kitchen is well-laid-out, with updated appliances and cupboards, the bathroom is newer, and all the windows in the house are less than 5 years old.  Those are the kind of updates I like in an older house.

Our yard is magnificent.  The dogs absolutely adore it - and they finally adore each other again too!  I think it's because they have so much space in which to run now.  I'm looking forward to spending a full year here, to find out what plants we have.  So far we've identified rhododendrons, lily of the valley, tulips, forsythia, and azaleas.  I'm not sure what other early-flowering plants there are, since most of them were done when we moved in.  The trees are large - I can't tell what kind yet, because it's been raining and raining and raining since we moved in!  Once the rain stops, I'll investigate some more.

Unpacking has been fun too - since Amy and I both owned houses in Philadelphia, we've found ourselves paring down a lot.  At one point, we brought all our eating utensils to the dining room table, laid them out, and decided what to keep and what to move on.  Then we brought all the cooking utensils and did the same thing.  And then the bed linens, and then the bathroom linens, and… you get the point.  

It has also been wonderful to start integrating the presents people have purchased for us into our home.  We got rid of nearly all of our everyday dishes to make room for Fiestaware.  Same with our drinking glasses and most of our bathroom towels. We are so very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.  Thank you all!  (Real notes following shortly, I promise!)

And today we drove up to Amy's folks' place to commission rings and to get a truckload of stuff to bring back here.  We found some things we thought we'd lost, like cross-country ski gear and clothing, and found things we'd only seen at Christmas this year, like a copper saucepan and a Le Crueset baking dish.  Fun!  Christmas in June!

Since it's been raining, I haven't had much opportunity to photograph the house.  And frankly, until it's in really decent condition (i.e. things put away), I don't want to.  But when that happens, I'll post photos at Flickr and link to them from here.  

So welcome home to us.  We all (human and canine) love the place.  Let's hear it for many happy years here.