THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume VI, Issue # 39, February 24, 2004
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
"DO YOU TAKE THIS WOMAN? DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN?"
HIGH TIME FOR A COMMON SENSE DISCUSSION OF "GAY MARRIAGE"
By Alan Caruba
Excuse me, but hasn’t marriage always been about the joining together of a man and a woman? Where did this bizarre notion come from
that marriage means a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman?
For as long as there has been human civilization, all cultures, all peoples, have recognized marriage as specific to the opposite genders
mating for the purpose of establishing a family. It is, simply put, the linchpin of society.
Like many, I have gay friends. I knew gays as far back as my days in college and, yes, even in the Army. The one thing I will not let a
gay friend tell me is that his sexual orientation is “natural” or “normal.” It is to the homosexual, but there is nothing in nature that
reflects anything other than the biological and genetic demand for propagation. Sex is powerful for a reason. We are wired to
reproduce. Sperm must fertilize an egg to do that.
In the conduct of their sexual lives, gays cannot reproduce. This isn’t to say lesbians can’t be artificially inseminated or that a gay
male couple cannot adopt. Science and society has extended these privileges, but they are fairly new and reflect a more tolerant
society. A fairly militant gay movement has achieved this, enthusiastically supported by Hollywood and the entertainment industry.
What gays cannot dispute, however, is that the long history of marriage was and is about a man and a woman mating in a religious
and/or civil ceremony (you need a license!). To call a gay relationship a “marriage” is manifestly inaccurate. To permit the term
“marriage” to be applied to a gay couple is nothing less than an attack on the very foundation of society.
This is not to say that marriage in America hasn’t taken a beating. My parent’s generation would have been aghast at couples
living together out of wedlock or with single motherhood. Most certainly, the divorce rate is such that marriage for life is now a
rarity and a second or even third marriage doesn’t raise any eyebrows. However, when someone says “marriage” most people
understand it means a man and a woman.
All of which brings us back to an even larger issue. Who decides who’s married? The State. Marriage has never been a federal
concern and most certainly should not become one. The notion of adopting a federal constitutional amendment to protect marriage
is absurd! The idea of throwing federal tax dollars at a program to encourage marriage is absurd! Let it also be noted that, when
people want to divorce, they must get the State’s permission.
What’s been happening in San Francisco, California, is a wholesale flouting of the State’s laws regarding marriage. The Mayor
there needs to do some jail time. Not surprisingly, the State has announced it will not recognize the marriage licenses as legal.
What’s happening in America is a debate about whether “marriage” incorporates the relationships of gays who love each other
and are devoted to a single partner. No, it doesn’t. It can respect those relationships by extending various legal protections and
benefits, but it cannot jettison the entire reason for the institution of marriage.
Therefore, it is up to the State Legislatures to get a grip on reality, to reflect the ancient construct of all societies and, in this case,
the view of the majority of Americans. They must make it perfectly clear that marriage is about the union of a man and a woman.
The idea that this is even being debated suggests that moral values, societal values, family values -- whatever you want to call
them -- are already in serious trouble in America.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Marriage, Family, & Society
Morality, Decency, & Traditional American Family Values
Alan Caruba is a veteran business and science writer, a Public Relations Counselor, Communications Director of the American Policy Center,
and Founder of the National Anxiety Center, a clearinghouse for information about media-driven scare campaigns. Caruba writes a weekly
column, "Warning Signs," posted on the Internet website of the National Anxiety Center
(www.anxietycenter.com). A compilation of his past col- umns, entitled Warning Signs, is published by Merril Press. In addition
to Warning Signs, Caruba is the author of A Pocket Guide to Militant Islam and The United Na- tions vs. the United States,
both of which are available from the National Anxiety Center, 9 Brookside Road, Maplewood, New Jersey, 07040.
Copyright 2004 Alan Caruba
Published with Permission of Alan Caruba
ACaruba@AOL.Com
Return to Top of Page
Go to the WEBSITE INDEX
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume VI, 2004
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights, Page Two
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights, Page One
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy