Editor’s Notes- About California’s Proposition 8

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

I have been disturbed lately by the controversy concerning Proposition 8 in California. In California in the year 2006 they had an estimated population of 35,893,000 people. Of those people I don’t know how many of them are registered voters. But, of those millions of people approximately 750,024 are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This accounts for 2.12 percent of the state’s total population as belonging to the LDS church. Of those 750,024 people many are children and not registered voters of California. Give or take a point or two, the Proposition 8 was defeated by a percentage of 52 percent against the Proposition and 48 percent for the proposition. This proposition would overturn the ruling of the California Supreme Court to allow marriage between same sex partners.
I went to the Websters Dictionary to find the word marriage. When I looked up the word then it said, Marriage is between a man and a woman. I don’t consider the dictionary the primary source of authority in my life, but I thought it was a good place to start.
So if Mr. Webster thinks that marriage is between a man and a woman then that sounds good to me, too. I like gay people, I don’t have a thing in the world against them. I have known several gay people in my life. One particular couple stands out to me. A very dear friend who died of AIDS. This friend had what he called a life partner. He and his partner were together, they lived together, they spent the time they had left together before my friend died. He and his partner never rallied against anyone, they lived their lives very quietly. They had a life partnership.
They didn’t call it a marriage, they knew it wasn’t a marriage. A marriage would mean there would be the possibility of bringing children into the world. A homosexual relationship brings no children into the world. If the world were to become all homosexual, then our race would cease to exist.
I am not against gay people being together and forming relationships. You can call it a partnership. You can call it a union, a bond, you can call it whatever you would like. Maybe even a new term could be coined for a gay relationship. But, please don’t call it a marriage.
My husband and I recently celebrated our 30th anniversary of our marriage. This marriage has brought five very beautiful sons into the world. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. I feel bad that gay people will be denied the beauty and sanctity of a marriage with the possibility of children I know that for many of them, this is their orientation and there isn’t anything they can do to change that. I also know gay people who choose not to act upon their tendencies to be attracted to the same sex. I know it must be very difficult for them. But, they have chosen this difficult path for themselves.
Whether you choose to act upon your gay tendencies or not, is of no consequence to me. You will have my love as a fellow human being. I believe all of us deserve unconditional love without judgments and retaliation in any way.
As close as I can tell, the people of California chose to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. The LDS church in California doesn’t have the voter base to bring such a victory. Some Californians must feel like marriage should be defined and it should be defined as between a man and a woman. Apparently others feel this way, not just the church members.
The LDS church has chosen to stand up and speak out about same sex marriage. This is their privilege as being part of America. We do that here. We have free speech. The gay people are free to announce their positions and beliefs, so why is the LDS church being so attacked for doing the same. The same sex marriage proponents want to be treated with respect, but why don’t they treat the LDS church with respect. Why are they picketing LDS temples and protesting?
There are many churches who speak up for many things in the course of a year. There’s hardly a day goes by that I don’t receive some type of email which states the Catholic Church’s position on abortion. Abortion is legal in America, but the Catholics fight for that law to be reversed. Human life is sacred and the Catholics believe it is worth fighting for.
I receive communications from a Baptist church in Georgia each day, this movement they support calls for the halt of abortion and also, they speak out against alcohol.
Another man in Alabama always communicates with me about tobacco and how he thinks it should be outlawed. This is just a small portion of the people who send emails every day expressing their opinion on one subject or another. This is the beauty of America. I admire those who are willing to speak out for what they believe in.
So please go ahead and have your relationships. Call them bonds or unions, or life partnerships but don’t call them marriages. I think there should be laws where these life partners can receive benefits should their partner die. Be committed to each other, take care of each other as you see fit, just figure out what to call it.