Well, i live in Minnesota and the biggest issue here is the marriage amendment laws. It's so intense to the point where my neighbors and i are at each others throats over it. I personally want Vote No to win, meaning that marriage between one woman and one man will not be put into the constitution. It's a subject that touches home for me in more ways than one. My sister has been engaged for a year now to her girlfriend and their future now depends on voters. I don't think it's fair for the government to pick who we can and cannot marry. I just wanted to know other peoples view on this issue.
I am with you on this one. I'll personally be voting no as will several of my family members and friends. I know the people I've spoken too know quite a few others who share this view as well so here's hoping its enough. Aside from my own sexuality, several of my friends are gay and in long term relationships and whether they choose to marry or not, I believe its a choice we all should have.
They show commercials and run campaigns saying that the gay community will wreck child minds. how is that possible? True love will destroy children now? When was this decided?
I don't watch much TV but I hear that rhetoric on the radio all the time and it makes me so angry. Sometimes I have to change the station. It's not the love aspect they're thinking of though. It's always been about sex and how they think its unnatural. I listen to the ads and as much as they try to sugar coat it and sound legitimate you can hear what they're really saying between the lines. They're afraid because they see it as something terrible. When they say they're worried about corrupting the children, its because they're still holding on to the belief that being around somebody gay can actually make someone gay. And they still believe that being gay or bi is something to be ashamed of.
I think that people are afraid that it will be taught in schools that it is just a regular thing. They're afraid that Disney will suddenly make a movie about a gay couple, or that (and this is probably the biggest one) kids are going to start thinking that they are gay when they're not since they don't experience sexual attraction yet, and then they'll start "dating" a kid of their same gender. I have to admit, it would confuse kids. I know it would have confused me when I was a kid. It's a big change, and I don't think kids would understand.
The opposite can also be said. When I was a kid I would date girls because I thought I was supposed to date them. I was extremely confused by society, but I turned out just fine. I don't see the harm in straight kids dating kids of the same gender. I also don't see how that could be so much worse than gay kids dating people of the opposite gender.
That's a silly thing to be worried about though. Kids do all sorts of crazy things based on what they see in the media. Seeing gay people on TV is not going to ACTUALLY make straight kids turn gay (not that there should be anything wrong with that in the first place). It's only catering to closed-minded homophobes who think any hint of gayness is icky and must be suppressed out of sight. Gotta say, it does say a lot about our society that our "family values"-obsessed parent crowd has no problem with kids seeing all sorts of violent and vulgar imagery in the movies, TV, video games, music, etc. but that even the slightest acknowledgement of the existence of gay people (or love or sex or just the human body) is cause for air-raid-siren-level of alarm. It's the sign of a sick and depraved culture, to be sure.
I could not agree more. Kids are going to grow up to be who they are, regardless of what they're exposed to as far as orientation and dating when they're younger. If a kid or teen who's straight, but confused starts dating a person of the same sex, they're going to find out it's not for them, the same way that somebody who's gay but confused would find that out if they started dating somebody of the opposite gender. A lot of the argument is centered around the alarmist viewpoint that homosexuality is contagious and it's just not. I see nothing wrong with exposing children to it (sans the sexual aspects of course) because it's a part of this world, and the more they know about the world they're living in, the stronger they're going to be for it. How exactly are we helping children by shielding them from things that they'll have to learn about and form opinions on when they're older? I also have to agree with Rakkaus. What does it say about our society when we children are allowed to watch violent R-rated movies, play extremely violent video games that center around violence and blowing other people away, and listen to extremely sexually explicit music, but the slightest acknowledgement of homosexuality is too taboo for them. Just to clarify my views, I don't really think that they're responsible for society's troubles, I simply think that using those examples was an effective way of communicating that point
If it passes, take it to the supreme court. I'm pretty sure that amendment is unconstitutional. (and the supreme court can't deem something unconstitutional unless someone complains about it)
But... it IS just a regular thing. :/ And incidentally it's not the kids we need to worry about when it comes to adjusting to the idea of same-sex relationships. It's some of the adults who are very confused. Kids are kids. They'll adjust to whatever life throws at them. As long as a trusted adult is around to guide the way and reassure them that all is well even when it looks like it's not, they'll be fine. Besides, they aren't in pursuit of relationships anyway, so it really has no personal meaning to them. The adults on the other hand, well, I find some of them really have trouble shifting gears. If there's any confusion due to kids acting out what they see in their games (such as a little girl pretending to marry her same-gender friend), it'll probably be because her parents over-reacted and told her it was wrong, when she already thought it was ok.
I don't think it's fair for citizens to pick who we can and cannot marry. None of these constitutional amendments or other voter initiatives should have ever been put to voters. They all must be struck down. As for MN, I am not getting my hopes up for our victory, but I hope I am wrong. I voted NO.