Wednesday, April 7, 2004
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Wednesday, April 7, 2004 |
| In the long run, SB 595 won’t matter By JOHN THOMPSON I was sitting in a bar having some liquid libations with friends last Wednesday, when my phone started vibrating and indicating I had a text message. I looked down and read that SB 595 had passed the Georgia House by a margin of two votes. For those of you who try not to pay attention to the General Assembly, the bill now allows the voters of Georgia in November to decide whether they want to write discrimination into the state’s constitution. The bill would make any form of gay marriage illegal in the state. There’s already a statute on the book that says the same thing, but apparently they were worried about “activist judges” overturning the law. I love that term. It’s just interesting you never heard about “activist judges” when they gave the election to President Bush, but that’s another column. The crowd I was with last Wednesday was predominately gay and I asked their thoughts on the issue. “Does this make people think we’re going to go away? We’ve never been able to get married.” Well, apparently members of the Georgia House, thanks to some last minute arm-twisting by the Christian Coalition, think gay marriage is one of the most crucial issues in the state. Never mind that jobs are scarce, gas prices are flying through the roof, and education in the state lags behind most of the nation ... this is the issue that matters. I think history is going to show that last week’s action is the final gasp from what some historians have dubbed the “greatest generation.” There’s no denying the generation fought bravely during the wars, but when it comes to social issues ... they’re not even good, let alone great. Check out some of these proud accomplishments ... defying integration, fighting against letting two different races marry, turning a blind eye towards equal rights for women. One of the common denominators in many of their misguided efforts has been relying on the old standard, the Bible. Now, I’m more of a believer in rational thought than trusting words written thousands of years ago that have gone through several translations, but the Christian Right, which is neither, would lead you to believe, that everything in the book is to be taken verbatim. It’s interesting to note that so many divorced people voted for the legislation, when there’s clearly several passages in the book that decry divorce. Of course, many in my group have shrugged off the oppressive chains of organized religion in favor of using something else to guide their lives ... the human mind. I know many of you out there are probably thinking that’s what you get when you abandon God, but realize there was also nearly 100 ministers from different faiths gathered at the Capitol last week denouncing this legislation. These weren’t all fringe groups either. An associate pastor of one of the largest United Methodist Churches in Atlanta was a regular player in trying to get the legislation stopped. But it was not to be. Gay marriage has emerged as the hot issue in the escalating culture wars, and many are draping themselves in the sanctity of marriage, while abandoning their children and spouse in favor of a younger wife. Late last month, Rep. John Lewis appeared at the Fayetteville Barnes and Noble for a talk and book signing. Lewis still bears the scars of one civil rights clash, and it appears he’s ready for another battle. On the floor of the U.S. Capitol last week, Lewis said that rights are for everyone, regardless of race or sexual orientation. Apparently, the generation getting ready to assume power in this country also feels this way. Opinion polls consistently show that 18-29 year olds don’t understand why gays can’t get married and have the same rights heterosexuals enjoy. In just a few years, we’ll probably look back on this contentious General Assembly session as a relic of the past, much as we do those signs that point to water fountains for colored people. Enjoy your victory last week, folks ... It’s not going to last.
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