Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to One explanation of the difference.

re: One explanation
Tom Brosz — (archived)

I think the difference is that liberals are interested in seeing that a common good is maintained - such as a safe environment for everyone. I believe it's legitimate to see that others don't unnecessarily pollute my back yard, or my front yard, or me. Or that I don't unnecessarily infringe upon others. Seems reasonable.

A lot of people would say that there is such a thing as a cultural environment, a safe environment in which to live and raise children, and that the government has a "right" to act to protect this as well. Certainly this would fall under the "common good."* I don't particularly feel this way--I have always been suspect of the government getting into morality, and just because I personally don't believe in gay marriage or anything else doesn't mean I want to instinctively pass laws against it. That's liberal thinking. ;)

Whether gay marriage is a "cultural pollutant" is arguable. I can think of a lot of other things I'd put higher on my list. I personally don't feel like two guys living together down the road is going to bother me or my kids much (although no doubt seeing an SUV in someone's driveway may drive them to distraction.) Frankly, the more monogamous behavior there is in the gay community, the better off we all are, but I don't see why diluting the concept of marriage and dragging all of society into it with them is essential to that. But again, that's my personal view.

It seems to me like a lot of this controversy on the part of the Mayor of SF and some others is more related to rubbing our noses in it rather than actually trying to secure the legal and even religious bonds they are looking for. To that extent, I fear some of the gay couples are being used as political tools.

And please don't lump all Christians in with those who believe medical care is a sin of some kind, a symptom of a very small faction. Or any other extreme belief for that matter. Of the millions of Christians in America, surprisingly few handle snakes for example.

That's as silly as painting all Muslims as radical bomb throwers.

And I have no idea what the hell Ashcroft has to do with it.

.

*Zoning porno theaters away from schools, for example, while it may bother anal libertarians, would certainly get few arguments from either liberals or conservatives.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (101 posts)