Rather lengthy but for good reason!

Hello all!

No word yet on my big decision. I've kind of run into a brick wall as far as appointment-making goes, but I'll keep you updated! In other news, I try to avoid getting political on here because that tends to get you in trouble with at least one other person, but I'm going to write about something that is really important to me that has been a huge news topic. It doesn't get any more unsurprising than this! Proposition 8.

I may not live in California anymore, but I hope living there for 17 years qualifies me to say that I was vested in this decision that California voters recently made. When voters passed a statute eight years ago that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that was not enough. The California Supreme Court still overturned that decision because they said it was unconstitutional. Well, now California citizens have voted in favor of amending the constitution. If it's IN the Constitution, it cannot be unconstitutional, right? And if the people have voted for it, then it's not just some arbitrary decision made by a few judges, right? Ahem, California Supreme Court. Do we the people actually have in a say? And by we, I mean California citizens, which technically I am not, but I wish I could have voted! I read a letter by someone who suggested that judges, in their position of authority, should be trusted to make the decision of what is best for the people. What?? If there is anything that modern politics has taught us, it's that blindly trusting our leaders in authority is absolutely the wrong thing to do! There is a huge difference between showing respect for someone in authority and agreeing with the choices they make. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have a few people decide what is the best choice for 37 million people in an extremely divisive issue. Let them decide for themselves!!

So why am I on this heated topic? I got a message from an old friend asking me (and that includes dozens of other friends) to email Gov. Schwarzenegger on the government website and ask him to recognize the validity of Proposition 8. Contrary to popular belief, I am not terribly naive, and especially not enough to think that Gov. Schwarzenegger will actually read this, but hopefully someone sees it. (Or at least the abundance of messages just like it.)

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

Please uphold Proposition 8. In a slight but clear majority, 52.2% of residents have voted that California's constitution should be amended to state that marriage is between a man and a woman. Since propositions in favor of traditional marriage have now passed TWICE, there should be no doubt as to how the majority of the populace feels. It is so important that California uphold this decision now, before marriage is robbed of its traditional sanctity and importance in our culture. Please help us to assert that this decision was not a mistake, that this new addition to the constitution is something that the state of California will adhere to. California is a very influential state in the union, and I worry that if this hard fought battle were to turn back in the other direction, other states will follow suit, allowing gay marriage without letting the PEOPLE determine whether they want it or not. There can be no confusion as to the legality of Proposition 8. This proposition has become a part of the constitution precisely because the majority of people have voted in favor it. Ignoring this fact will negate the idea that the state of California is representative of a democratic nation. Please show supporters of Proposition 8, other California residents, and the nation that the state of California has upheld the definition that marriage is between a man and a woman. We cannot allow a few judges to decide what is best for the people of California. We asked that the people decide, and they have made their decision.

Thank you for your time, and best of luck!

Let me explain why this particular issue is so important to me. Why my family, friends, and church find it so important. Marriage and family is the glue of society. The most thriving communities are those that place great importance on the family. Why should marriage be just between a man and a woman? Because it is not just some legal agreement between two people stating that their assets and benefits are now combined. Think back, way back to the time when marriage was just between a man and a woman. Logically it makes sense. Procreation can only happen between a man and a woman. There is no way around that. If marriage is the glue of the family, and a family comes of procreation, and procreation can only occur between a man and a woman, then one can see the reason for marriage between a man and a woman. Why not for same-sex couples? Precisely for the same reason, that traditionally, in all cultures, marriage has been between a man and a woman capable of procreation and creating a family. Whether or not a man and a woman actually have children is not the point. The point is that in the most natural sense, a family can only come out of the union of a man and a woman. Thus marriage, in the most natural sense, can only mean that between a man and a woman.

From a religious point of view, I think that if God meant for men to be married to men, and women to be married to women, he would have provided them with the capability of creating children within that union. Whether someone is gay or not does not matter to me at all. What I do care about is that we preserve the sanctity of marriage and show that this is not an uninformed, outdated tradition. Marriage is timeless, and as such, its place in society needs to be respected. My parents and grandparents have shown to me through their marriages what it really means to be a married couple. It is apparent to me they truly love each other, support each other as husband and wife, and are committed to raising their children together. That is the marriage we need today. Let's preserve its place while we still can.