The reaction has been swift and overwhelming. Here it is five months to the American presidential election of 2012 and the lead issue is defined as same sex marriage. Obama has made his stand and Romney has made his. And the dogs of war are loosed.
It shames America. Same sex marriage is not an election issue. It is pandering to the puerile. It is an issue designed to divide. It heals nothing. It stands for tolerance and incites intolerance. It is live and let live in a country of judgement. Of the 100 most serious problems facing America, same sex marriage does not make the list.
And neither candidate feels the issue. It has no pertinence in their daily lives. It is not likely to even be a family issue. They are treating a human rights issue as more important than the real needs of Americans. Neither candidate is politically correct.
Mitt Romney has made no change. His view of same sex marriage is based on his religious views. He is now using it to pander to the religious right in his country. He is breaking his vow to keep his religious separate from his political positions. His position is not defensible.
And there is little honour to Barrack Obama in the issue. His Vice President Joe Biden broke the silence on the issue for him. His famous rhetoric failed him as he gave weak support to the only position open to him.
America is a country with earned enemies abroad and within. The Middle East is rife with those who would make religious jihad against the crusaders in khaki. Envy, resentment, distrust, and anger are the reality in many parts of the world. The political errors of past presidents are not the only failings as unfettered American business continues to rape and pillage in the tradition of the privateers of old.
And yet there are enough seeds of destruction being nurtured in America. It hardly needs enemies offshore. Unless there are three moons in the sky in November there will still be a divided Congress to stand intransigent against sensible budgets and honest taxation in a country where ‘what is mine is mine.’
The battle for the White House is a long and tiring tradition in America. You would think the participants would be willing to add a little common sense to the mix.
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Copyright 2012 © Peter Lowry
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