Marriage and Politics

What is marriage? Well, if you ask most people they will give you a long and personal account of what THEIR marriage is or their parents marriage is. They won't think much broader than that. But they certainly won't use history to define what the parameters of marriage are. The moment a state approves homosexual marriage the dictionary changes its definitions, so the dictionary is of no help. But marriage is probably as old as mankind's entry into civilization. In prehistory, we know it existed even without glossy photographs and ugly bridesmaids dresses. Though, the dress part might have been the same. Marriages were made in many societies with little regard to whether or not the couple loved one another. Marrying for love was a novelty. Marriage was made to strengthen families and their bonds with other families. Marriage was made to form alliances between countries. Marriage was made to produce heirs. Marriage was done to keep inheritances safe. But throughout history, marriage has been a word of great and undeniable significance and was defined by heterosexuality. If a child was conceived (and in colonial America, that was usually the case), a marriage followed. Raising a child was a function that relied on marriage for its success. Rather than upholding marriage, we have allowed society to degrade it. No longer to we encourage marriage. We have loosened the laws to the point that there is socially and legally acceptable cohabitation, loss of common law marriage, and a general attitude that "marriage is a joke- everyone gets divorced". And now, the very word "marriage" and all of its historic, social, legal and religious meanings is being challenged and changed. What IS in a word? Well, I doubt there is a word with a longer heterosexual lineage than the word "marriage". To wish to preserve the very word is not a crime. Now, fewer than 1 percent of the population wants to claim the word for a union between two men or two women. Whether or not one believes that that is right seems to depend on their age. Teens and younger adults tend to not see it as a problem. And why should they? Their generation has never heard of common law marriage, or heard the history of marriage in world civilizations. To them, it is just a word. Just like the word divorce. And the phrase "everyone gets divorced". And who should we blame? You know the answer. But just because heterosexuals get divorced doesn't mean the word marriage should be used for homosexual unions. There is no social, political, or legal history for that. Do I care if gays have every right that a married couple does? No. I don't. In fact, I have written this before. GO ahead, gay friends and family, get legally committed and share your house and money and dog and bed. And make SURE all those laws you get for yourself include the right to spend A LOT in alimony and on divorce because you will get divorced, too. I WANT you to have that. But you aren't really married- you are in a civil union. Because you are gay. Marriage is such a special word and it has meant, until the last few years in a few countries or states, a man and his wife. Thousands of years of marriage between a man and his wife. Make your own history. Get your own words. But you cannot change the history of an institution that has been special and really doesn't describe what homosexuals are doing. And if you do, somehow, manage to take the word, then guess what? We'll still know you are gay. It's not like it will make you "like everyone else". And that has to be the only reason you would look another guy in the eye and call him your husband. Because you desperately want to be like us. And you don't care how much hate you start to do it. People who don't agree with gays using the word marriage are described as being HATERS. Interesting. I don't hate anyone. I just want to have the word marriage reserved for heterosexuals. That's all. That is the sad part. Marriage has always meant man and wife. No confusion. It will be decades and generations before that history will be lost in the minds and hearts of people who believe it.