Iowa? Wait - Iowa??

This is in response, of course, to This Headline on CNN today. The State of Iowa handed down legislation unanimously overturning a ban on same-sex marriage in the state. Gay couples are no longer second-class citizens within the fringes of America's heartland. Iowa now joins Connecticut and Massachusetts as the only 3 states in the union to allow homosexual couples to marry. Even as this happens, the states of New Hampshire and Vermont have already passed similar bills, however they are expected to face strong opposition and possibly gubernatorial vetoes.

The Iowa ruling overturned a 1998 decision once it was determined that banning gay marriage went against the state constitution. It was decided that prohibiting gay couples from full and legal civil marriages was in direct violation of the state of Iowa's equal protection clause. It will take 3 weeks before the decision becomes law, but no appeals are immediately expected at this time.

However, that does not mean no one is trying to start one. From the article, Brian English, spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center, states that he and his ilk are "extremely disappointed, saddened, and a little surprised" regarding the unanimous decision. English's group works on "strengthening the family." They have promised to seek immediate action to have the resolution overturned and return the Constitution of Iowa to its original wording, which limited all unions to those between a man and a woman. English and other opponents of gay marriage prayed outside the courthouse as they awaited the court decision.

I would like to pose a question to you, Mr. English. Feel free to respond. We are, after all, a community, one open to debate and others opinions. Thus I ask you; if you are committed to strengthening the family, how does union between two men or two women weaken the family? Does it weaken your family ties if a gay couple is married? I do not want to speculate, sir, but if that is the case could it not be the result of a deficiency on your part? Or are you trying to strengthen the idea of family? Is your group crusading based on an idea rather than any tangible goal? How do you know when a family has been strengthened? Would your time not be better spent working to help victims of spousal abuse or fund raising to improve the quality of schools? Would families not benefit more from better after-school programs or grants for educational television rather than an opposition to gay marriage? You'll forgive me if I fail to see where you strengthen family bonds with this particular issue. Perhaps you can explain it to me.

And, Mr. English, if the opponents of gay marriage prayed outside the courthouse and yet a unanimous decision striking down the ban was still reached, perhaps you should examine the idea that God is not on your side?

Just something to consider.