A Solution in Need of a Problem
Today the Indiana House Rules Committee will take up SJR-7, the amendment to the Indiana Constitution that would ban same-sex marriage. The language of the amendment reads as follows, marriage shall be between a man and a woman and nothing in Indiana law shall be construed to require the legal incidents of marriage to unmarried couples.
To be brutally honest with you, I really don’t see what the big deal has been about this issue. I had no idea that gay marriage was such a threat to Indiana families. When a young, pregnant mother in Indianapolis was killed in her apartment by a stray bullet, I don’t think it was a gay couple trying to get married who fired the gun that destroyed that family. I also don’t think it’s been gay couples trying to marry who have opposed progress in this state, keeping away badly needed jobs which can only strengthen families. And it’s not gay couples trying to marry that are responsible for the high drop rate, obesity rate and brain drain, all things that go to harming families.
So if Indiana has all these other pressing problems, why is gay marriage even on the radar screen? It makes for good talk show fodder, but that’s about it. The argument that the amendment is needed to block “activist” judges who might one day in the future rule a certain way is silly. That’s like saying I might get shot one day so let’s takeaway everybody’s gun.
I understand people who truly think marriage is under attack and needs protecting, but it’s usually a famous celebrity heterosexual couple that’s causing the problem by having as many spouses as I do dress shirts. But amending the Indiana Constitution is pointless. Amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage is like giving the drummer from Def Leppard a second drumstick, I’m not sure what good it will do but it definitely won’t make the music sound better.