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Same-Sex Marriage - Doing the Right Thing the Wrong Way?

By Chic Hollis

On a small planet overpopulated by almost 7 billion humans, the desire to achieve equality has become a major issue among the members of our so-called civilized societies. However, with a "live and let live" moral philosophy, it becomes difficult to "do the right thing" where the "rights" of some citizens are not curtailed or abused.

Long before there were tribal laws, marriage contracts, and complex overlapping government bureaucracies, male and female humans began a lifestyle best described loosely as consensual cohabitation. These domestic partners were usually members of the opposite sex whose living arrangement in caves led to reproducing the Homo erectus species. Thousands of years later, the social idea of marriage was introduced which the religious deemed to be a sacred form of raising a family according to some unseen deity.

Fast forward to the 21st Century, and note the long hidden practice of a few humans choosing to live in a same-sex consensual cohabiting relationship. During the evolution of the laws that govern society, a number of tax advantages and other minor benefits accrued to the married couple of man and wife, which were not extended to everyone in a domestic partnership. Although some laws have been altered in some jurisdictions to accommodate same-sex relationships, the feeling of unequal legal treatment of Gays and Lesbians persists. The more aggressive of these folks want to be "married officially" so that they can enjoy the perks of that holy status.

Anyone who wants to eliminate blatant discrimination is waffling about how to do this so that the result would improve social equality. Unfortunately, politicians and judges are attempting to do the right thing the wrong way. Savvy politicians don't want to disturb domestic tranquility. However, by acting in their usual hurry to "make something happen quickly," they are disregarding the core of their political base by promoting same-sex marriage. What a sad development because it's the wrong way.

The right way is pretty obvious, but the leaders of Gays and Lesbians and their lawyers ignore it. While some progress has been made to offer same-sex couples equal treatment under the law, homosexuals feel that the only way to do this completely is for them to "get married." I must agree: changing all the laws that use the word "marriage" with the connotations that such a union is between a man and a woman would be time consuming and inefficient. The easiest thing for our governments to do would be to adopt a brand new word for "same-sex consensual cohabitation" that could be used interchangeably with the word "marriage" in all legal contexts. Pretty simple solution if you ask me.

The argument from homosexuals that they have a constitutional right to be married is phony. Our legal eagles have deliberately ignored the principle of equality in addressing the homosexual argument. Each person in this country has the right to marry someone of the opposite sex. Homosexuals have that right, but they choose to reject it. So, why are they advocating a new right to be legally joined to a member of the same sex and call it "marriage?!" Seems pretty arrogant of a small minority to push the social envelope with so little legal justification.

Let there be two unique unions of human adults and call them by different names and give these unions equal favors. Think of all the rancor and hostility that could be avoided. Why try to upset thousands of years of religious history and practice for the lack of a word? How unimaginative are our leaders to accept the demands of a minority that wants more rights than are endowed to everyone else? Let the same-sex unions be properly named and established legally, formally, and officially. Wouldn't that cut out the animosity about some deviation to a generally acceptable social convention?

If coming to an agreement which recognizes different types of unions is the right thing to do, why do it the wrong way? Only because it's probably too late to do the right thing the right way.

Chic Hollis lived on four continents, speaks seven languages and had five children, all of which helped him gain a unique perspective on life.