opinion

The battle cry of so many on the left resides with adjectives of discrimination, prejudice, intolerance. Fact of the matter is that all laws are "discriminatory" in nature as they prevent someone from doing something. Marijuana users are discriminated against. A sixty-year old cannot have an intimate relationship with a twelve year old. Current polygamy laws do not allow multiple individuals to marry. Absence of rules and regulations (laws) yield anarchy. It would be nice for those who cry "prejudice" at the drop of a hat would cease with such a shallow approach to addressing the opportunities/issues of the day.

And here we go with the commentors trotting out all the other things that people can't do, as if murder or incest or child sexual assault were somehow synonymous with two consenting adults falling in love. By their logic, hetero couples shouldn't be allowed to get married because 60 year olds can't have sex with twelve year olds and polygamy is illegal. The fact that they try to make that sort of link at all simply shows that their argument has nothing to do with rationality and everything to do with the fact that gay people just make them feel "icky".

The healdline reads- "Call it prejudice-because it is". Absolutely correct! Do you think that the people who prevented blacks from eating at a lunch counter in the south in the 1950's considered themselves prejudice at the time? Nope, they considered themselves as decent, church going, citizens. But history years later have shown them what they are. And years from now, history will show how those against gay rights were equally as discriminatory.

So many thought-provoking statements in this commentary, Andreas Aarsvold, especially these three: (1) "Telling gay people that an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman isn't an attack on who they are is like the police telling the marchers in Birmingham that they hit them with fire hoses because they thought they looked hot." (2) "[T]his idea of an 'authentic marriage' ... is insulting; it is degrading, and it serves to keep those who are different at a level lower than everyone else." (3) "I learned early on that there are a lot of different ways to live, and there are a lot of different ways to be."

Kudos, also, to the headline writer.

The definition of what is normal was decided by nature. Normal is the pairing of organisms that can pair and reproduce.

The author of this column is going to get hateful mail and phone calls from so called christians just to let him know that they know where he lives. I've had letters to the editor printed more than once and it's happened to me each time. I'm kinda glad my own letter to the editor on this subject wasn't published.

Seems like alot of hyperbole and not much substance here, to the point where the author seems almost petulant. One only need see multiple Dane court judges strike down the WI labor laws to realize why reasonable Americans fear our courts almost more than overseas enemies. Ditto for the voter ID laws that passed by duly elected legislatures. Again, the amendment wont prevent any human being from marrying in this state, it just must be somebody of the opposite sex, and meeting many other legal criteria. I think it's great, and I was happy to send a big check to support the vote YES ads. You can easily donate online to support the amendment, too.

"The author of this column is going to get hateful mail and phone calls from so called christians just to let him know that they know where he lives". Sure - we believe that. Now, what we really know is that the left went after supporters of prop 8 in CA by posting their addresses and phone numbers on the internet complete with maps and targets circling their homes. Death threats were sent daily.

"... the amendment won't prevent any human being from marrying in this state, it just must be somebody of the opposite sex". In the same way that laws against interracial marriage didn't prevent anyone from marrying, they just had to be of the race that the government thought was appropriate. What a ridiculous rationalization for prejudice.

jdlellis1Oct. 6, 12 6:20 PM The battle cry of so many on the left resides with adjectives of discrimination, prejudice, intolerance. Fact of the matter is that all laws are "discriminatory" in nature as they prevent someone from doing something. Marijuana users are discriminated against. A sixty-year old cannot have an intimate relationship with a twelve year old. _____________It is discrimination. You are proposing to deny a declaration of love and commitment to others, a ceremony that you, me and our loved ones are free to indulge in, simply based on their sexual preference. It's as discriminatory as denying people of color a seat on the bus, based on their race, was back in the 60's.