Dave the Wonder Boy was a little less subtle than I would have been, but a lot of people agree with that perspective. Call it whatever you want, but it's well within their constitutional rights, and a lot less incendiary than many perspectives I've heard on either side.

Wingnut, I am impressed by your depth of thought on this matter. I am puzzled, however, as to the importance of the 'social acknowledgement' you mentioned when so many homosexuals keep insisting that they don't care what society thinks of them. Exactly what would a homosexual couple want others to acknowledge publicly in a union of theirs? That it's no different from a heterosexual marriage? Good luck convincing anyone with functional eyesight of that.

Why would someone be interested in the legal contract of marriage if they're not concerned with its cultural or religious significance? Maybe they're after domestic-joint-income tax breaks? Maybe they want to be able to adopt children (now there's a topic we could spend a while on [mwah hwah haa] )? Maybe they just want to dilute another aspect of tradition and rub it in Righty's face? Or do they need it to ease their consciences?

I honestly don't know. But maybe people should stop to think about just what they hope to gain from something so controversial before going to the mat and raising an uproar. It might make it easier for them to make their case, and it might dispel others' suppositions that they're just looking for a fight.

Because honestly, the whole homosexual marriage issue doesn't strike a lot of people as much more than another front to wage war against the more conservative and traditional elements of society.

And if that's true, gay-rights activists might discover that they're merely being used as pawns in the endless conservative-versus-liberal, Republican-versus-Democrat tug-of-war over the votes of people they'll probably forget within weeks of elections anyway.