Pennsylvania Marriage Amendment (and my response)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06102/681274-109.stm

Here's my letter to the editor, which I just sent a few minutes ago:

After reading Rep. Metcalfe's editorial about House Bill 2381, I have to say I could only shake my head. If only we all lived in a world as cut-and-dried as he seems to.

What Rep. Metcalfe and others fail to recognize is the distinction between civil and sacramental marriage. No legitimate government - federal, state, or local - will ever force a church to recognize or perform a marriage that violates the beliefs of that church. But civil marriage is simply a legal contract, conferring certain legal and tax-related benefits far beyond simple power of attorney. Civil marriage is no more "sacred" than a driver's license or a mortgage, and denying it to same-sex couples makes just as little sense. Beyond that, I think most people would agree that growing up with two stable, loving and moral gay parents is far better than growing up in an orphanage.

If we allow heterosexuals to marry for convenience, money, sex, financial aid, a greencard, to upset their parents, or even for no good reason at all, how can we even think of denying homosexuals the ability to marry for love - or indeed, for any other reason? To do so would be to institute preference of one religious belief over another by our government, which the First Amendment prohibits. If you have a real problem with same-sex marriage, then go to a church that refuses to perform them - even stand in the street and preach about the evils of homosexuality, if you like, since that's your constitutional right. But keep your paws off other people's civil liberties.

I've always seen Pennsylvania as a forward-looking state, and I'd hate to be proven wrong by a few bigots who've chosen to misuse their legislative power. Whether you personally support or oppose same-sex marriages, do you really want to help set a precedent that undermines our state and federal constitutions? Think long and hard about it before you answer.

KICKASS

I just got a call from the Post-Gazette. They're printing my letter - they called just to get explicit permission. It should be in the paper sometime within the next week.

The lady on the phone said they'd been deluged with letters about that particular editorial, and that it was good to know so many of their readers are "on the right side". I assume she actually means the left side, but i didn't want to split hairs :-)

But woot! I'm getting my first letter to the editor published!

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Update:
There's a 250-word maximum, and they apparently want to print a lot of the letters they received, so I need to edit it down a little bit. The revised version will be posted here shortly.

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Here's the new, improved letter:

If only the world were as black and white as Rep. Metcalfe seems to believe. What he fails to recognize is the distinction between civil and sacramental marriage. Our government will never force any church to perform a sacramental marriage that violates the church’s beliefs – and rightly so - but civil marriage is simply a legal contract, conferring its own protections and benefits. It’s no more "sacred" than a driver's license or a mortgage, and denying it to same-sex couples makes just as little sense. Beyond that, having two stable, loving and moral same-sex parents must be far better than growing up in an orphanage.

If we allow heterosexuals to marry for convenience, money, sex, financial aid, a greencard, or a whim, how can we even consider denying homosexuals the freedom to marry for love - or for any reason? If we value freedom of assembly and freedom of religion, as guaranteed by the First Amendment, then the answer is clear; if you have a problem with same-sex marriages, join a church that refuses to perform them. Even stand in the street and preach about the evils of homosexuality, if you like – that’s your constitutional right. But keep your paws off other people's civil liberties.

I've always considered Pennsylvania a forward-looking state. I'd hate to be proven wrong by a few bigots who've chosen to misuse their legislative power. Whatever your views on marriage, do you really want to help set a precedent that undermines our state and federal constitutions?