Life Is Not Purgatory
Monday, April 04, 2005
Letter to the Editor
In responce to this letter from an Alberta MLA, I sent in the following responce:
I must respectfully disagree with several of the points addressed by Ted Morton, MLA, Foothills-Rockyview in his letter published April 5th, 2005 regarding the same-sex marriage debate and the Alberta Marriage Act.
No one will refute his evidence that social science research demonstrates tangible benefits that accrue to children raised by both biological parents (in a stable home environment). However, his assertion that such research is justification for opposition to homosexual marriages is poorly grounded. Marriage is an expression of love and adoration between two people that wish to commit themselves under law to their relationship; children are a natural extension to that love - for fertile heterosexual couples. But not all couples who do marry can have children. Does Mr. Morton condemn the marriage of those unfortunate individuals whose own fertility issues negate the possibility of their own children, or choose to adopt any of the thousands of children who rely on foster care? I think not...
Should we wish to, my girlfriend and I could walk into a registries office today and walk out with a marriage license. If my partner was male, I could not. That is discrimination on the basis of gender and under section 28 of the charter is exempt from the notwithstanding clause, the issue of sexual orientation is irrelevant. Though I disliked (like most in Western Canada) many of his programs I'll quote him regardless, "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation." - Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
It is the duty of the judiciary to protect the minority from oppression of the majority. If all rights were popular, we would never have to protect them. Lets move on to fixing our health care system, infrastructure, and opening the border to our cattle. We have more important and pressing concerns for our legislature to deal with then using empty rhetoric to score cheap political points... that is what the real majority wants.
In responce to this letter from an Alberta MLA, I sent in the following responce:
I must respectfully disagree with several of the points addressed by Ted Morton, MLA, Foothills-Rockyview in his letter published April 5th, 2005 regarding the same-sex marriage debate and the Alberta Marriage Act.
No one will refute his evidence that social science research demonstrates tangible benefits that accrue to children raised by both biological parents (in a stable home environment). However, his assertion that such research is justification for opposition to homosexual marriages is poorly grounded. Marriage is an expression of love and adoration between two people that wish to commit themselves under law to their relationship; children are a natural extension to that love - for fertile heterosexual couples. But not all couples who do marry can have children. Does Mr. Morton condemn the marriage of those unfortunate individuals whose own fertility issues negate the possibility of their own children, or choose to adopt any of the thousands of children who rely on foster care? I think not...
Should we wish to, my girlfriend and I could walk into a registries office today and walk out with a marriage license. If my partner was male, I could not. That is discrimination on the basis of gender and under section 28 of the charter is exempt from the notwithstanding clause, the issue of sexual orientation is irrelevant. Though I disliked (like most in Western Canada) many of his programs I'll quote him regardless, "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation." - Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
It is the duty of the judiciary to protect the minority from oppression of the majority. If all rights were popular, we would never have to protect them. Lets move on to fixing our health care system, infrastructure, and opening the border to our cattle. We have more important and pressing concerns for our legislature to deal with then using empty rhetoric to score cheap political points... that is what the real majority wants.
