No on 1 or Yes on 1?  Protect Maine Equality or Stand for Marriage Maine?  Same-sex marriage or traditional marriage?  Respectively.  November 3rd will be a big day for many in Maine, either way this goes…

This is the best question and statements surrounding this topic I have seen:

Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?  

The repeal effort has been led by the Roman Catholic Diocese. Bishop Richard Malone called same-sex marriage a dangerous sociological experiment.  The fact that gay couples have existed for generations, many of them raising children, counters this argument. Worse, however, is the church’s attempt to force its views on all Maine’s residents, whether they are Catholic or not. 

It is only natural that changing the definition of something as fundamental as marriage makes some uncomfortable. However, marriage has changed over time, interracial marriages were once banned, and men were allowed to have many wives, without harming heterosexual marriages. In a country where the divorce rate is too high and too many children grow up in dysfunctional and abusive families, encouraging more adults to commit to long-term, loving relationships is a positive, not a negative.

It is hard to see how allowing more people to marry will weaken marriage. Instead, it seems the strong desire of gay and lesbian couples to be married, rather than declared domestic partners, shows the value and importance of marriage.  - Snip its from an article in the Bangor Daily News, 10/17/09

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MARRIAGE AFFORDS unparalleled rights and benefits to people who commit to long-term relationships. All people, regardless of sexual orientation, should have an equal right to marry under the law. -Boston Globe, 10/25/09

 

Here we are in the 21st century and still dealing with outright face to face prejudice.  This is not your under the table ”I’m not a racist but” type of statement coming from your father at the dinner table.  This is an outright face to face prejudice towards gays and lesbians and their right to be married.  It saddens me to know that people do not want the same rights for each human being. 

Here are a few of the campaign efforts for both sides:

Marriage Matters! Vote to Preserve Marriage!

A Yes vote on Question 1 prevents homosexual marriage from becoming law in Maine, preserves the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. 

Vote No on 1 / Protect Maine Equality – “Opinion” TV Ad:

Yes on 1 / To Preserve Traditional Marriage TV Ad:

This is what it really comes down to:  Everyone has a right to their opinion, beliefs and morals.  Everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness and to live equally among each other.  We should all have the same rights and benefits but NO one has the right to force their own beliefs and morals on another person for any reason ever.  I can not believe the Catholic Church would think it is okay to stop someone from getting married in the court of law because of the gender of the people involved.  I see it like this, the church can decide not to marry whomever they wish within the church; but to try to force those rules on another person is disheartening and flat out wrong.  I could go on and on about this and I know that I am just not doing it justice, so I’ll stop here and just ask you to think about it.   

“Voting no on Question 1 will reiterate Maine’s commitment to equality and acceptance of families of all types while respecting religious traditions and beliefs.” -Bangor Daily News, 10/17/09.

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