Maine Gay Marriage Law Repeal Effort
By KLVentures
@KLVentures (119)
United States
July 9, 2009 6:19am CST
According to the 09 July, 2009 issue of the Bangor Daily News, the Stand for Marriage Maine coalition has gathered enough signatures to place the vote to repeal the Maine gay marriage law on the ballot. The necessary 55,087 signatures were gathered in a month and the coalition still has several more weeks to gather additional signatures.
Once the signatures are submitted and verified the law which is scheduled to go into affect on 12 September will be suspended pending the outcome of the vote. Supporters of the gay marriage law state that they fully expected the measure to end up the November ballot when it was passed by the state legislature. The issue should be hotly contested and increase voter turn out in an off year election.
In my opinion, this is a matter that is not worth the fight by either side. The institution of marriage has been basically destroyed by the government for years now. With no fault divorces, a welfare system that rewards single parent families, and marriage tax penalties, it is no wonder that the divorce rate in this country is so high. If marriage is not of extreme importance due to your religion or moral standings, it does not make logical sense to get married anymore. I do not think this is good for our society but I do think it is where we are at. At this point, I would rather see marriage become a personal or religious institution and have the government get out of it all together.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@JodiLynn (1417)
• United States
9 Jul 09
Govt is involved because marital status affects taxation, so you can forget them getting uninvolved.
Marriage is a joke anymore, and not because of any homosexual doings. 50% end in divorce, and these are "strait" couples!
Whats to defend here?
I hope the bill passes. I hope to go to my son's wedding someday, I also hope he and his groom will have a wonderful full life of happiness together!
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
9 Jul 09
"At this point, I would rather see marriage become a personal or religious institution and have the government get out of it all together."
I couldn't agrea more on that one. Marriage was doomed the moment it became a government corperate contract. Marriage should have remained a spiritual institution and union between two people.
I live right next door to you, in New Hampshire, but I do spend a lot of time over in Maine. It seems the whole gay marriage issue took on a lot more fervor than it did in my state. There was some controversy but we are more a live and let live kinda state I guess and personaly, it is something that wasn't really a big deal to me. But if the people in your state feel strongly enough that it is something that shouldn't have become law, than it is of course their perogative to change it. I love the concept of a "people's veto" in general. It is a great last line of defense against government in any issue.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
9 Jul 09
So you don't think parents should have any rights to raise their own children?
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
9 Jul 09
If the government isn't part of the marriage contract, then it has no responsibility to recognize any part of marriage at all. There would be no legal definition of the term "parent" "mother" or "father" at all.
There are recognized rights, responsibilities (and apparently even penalties) in marriage precisely because the government is one of the 3 signatories in the marriage contract. Take the government out of it, and you remove those rights and responsibilities.
Parents wouldn't have any responsibilities or rights with their kids, and kids would have no legal expectations towards their parents.
If we decided that marriage is just a religious institution, then the marriage contract wouldn't be any more legally binding than a confirmation, baptism, ordination or any other religious activity.
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
9 Jul 09
Marriage is a flailing institution in many ways, but why contribute to its demise by allowing gay "marriage."
@jonakyl (493)
• United States
9 Jul 09
I just wonder how many of those 55,087 signature from people concerned about the sanctity of marriage are divorced?
You've definitely hit the nail on the head about no fault divorces and so on.
I say let them get married, can they really do worse with it than us straight people have?
