Take a look at this photo. Look at the elder man as he "listens" to the young man next to him. What does his face say to you? Outside of looking severely constipated, he appears to be on the verge of sprouting horns. You can just see the hate brewing inside of him."What is going on here?" you might be thinking. My city, Salt Lake City, just approved a domestic registry for folks working for the city. This domestic registry allows two people to register for health benefits even though they are not lawfully wed. This can be two adults, an adult and child that are not related by marriage or blood, a child taking care of a parent, etc... It offers a lot of good for folks that cannot currently be covered by another's insurance because they aren't legally bound together. And, yes, this bill allows two consenting adults that may or may not be in a same sex relationship, to be listed as a "domestic partners" in order to get health coverage.
With out missing a beat, the self proclaimed "moral" voice of Utah began its symphonic rendition of "man beating chest." Such statements as "it is vile," "repugnant," and "those aren't my beliefs," are made by the Representatives of the population of this great state. Please explain to me how allowing individuals to get the health care they need is objectional? This actually reduces the money the state pays for the uninsured, by allowing people that cannot get insurance to be covered by private insurance. Isn't that what Conservatism is all about? Less government? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot....I am in Utah. Conservatism is only a veil that is used so the majority can enact their philosophies on the minority. Invoking morality is far more important than saving a buck, but only if it is their kind of morality. Anybody else's morality will cost the state too much.
As a person that likes to dig beneath the surface, I have to wonder what are the motivations of these elitist, moral types that are hell bent on making their ideas the only acceptable ideas? I am a believer that when looking at any issue, if one can dig down to find the motivations of those involved, one can find the real issue at hand.
What is the motivation?
In this issue, you have one side (the side of the city and its residents) that want to enact a provision that will offer a health care partnership, no matter the legal relationship. The other side (the government officials of the state) have stated they will stop this bill from being passed because it goes against the marriage amendment. Last I checked, the city wasn't registering people for marriage. Gay relationships would be the least of their concerns in that case. Incestual marriage by a child taking care of a parent just to get health care? Wow, that would be interesting. Oh, but those folks (the non gay folks) have been brushed aside in this argument. This is a GAY issue. No....this is a morality issue. This is an argument that is motivated by a bunch of "high on themselves" types that love invoking Godly power over the heathen masses.
If you really think about it, why do some people feel the need to control others? If what a person does in the privacy of their own home is protected under the Constitution, then why are there so many zealot types trying to find a way to insert their control into everyone's life? My personal opinion in this particular case is that these people control what is around them so they don't have to look inside to find what it is they truly believe in. That Shakespearian saying..."thou doth protest too much, methinks" really does apply in behaviors and actions such as these.
In this State, everything political is either "you are with us or against us," there is no middle ground. Most everything is also a religious issue, and repeat after me...."you are with us or against us." The persecution complex is more of a mindset here than a psychological event. But that is a topic for another day.
Look at the representative in this picture (the older man). Just look at his face. There is no compassion there, there is no respect for the life beside him. He, as part of the moral majority, finds this individual to be an abomination. He has cast his judgement without even knowing the individual speaking. Either that, or he just ate a Brussel Sprout (that is probably what my face looks like after eating one). This Representative has a bone to pick with anyone that doesn't agree with his idea of how one chooses to live their life. Why would that be? I have to wonder. What does he get from taking this position? Of course, I can't get the answer from him, but from what I have gathered, he is afraid that this bill will bring forth a scourge of gay sex on the streets of downtown and destroy the bedrock foundation of marital bliss as made by one man and one woman. Sound ridiculous? I think so. Actually, I think most rational people would think such an idea is ridiculous and undeserving.
There we have it then, this isn't rational thinking, this is emotional thinking. This particular individual and those that agree with his perspective are acting out on a personal feeling or emotion and not one of rational governance. The look on his face says it all....he HATES this guy. The emotion within him has bubbled to the surface and the truth has been revealed. This is not a a rational government issue, this is his morality/beliefs determining what is right and wrong for ALL the people no matter the differing philosophies of how one can live in pursuit of their happiness.
I guess if you have lived in Utah for very long, this discussion offers no new revelation. This is the ugly side of living in such a beautiful place. Issues like this one are common and produce a great amount of hostility among the people, from both sides. It is sometimes enough to make you pack your bags and head to quieter waters, but then the thought comes into my head, "Does such a place exist?" Is there a place where people just love and accept one another? Where people can believe what they want to believe.....for themselves and not anyone else? A place where we respect the differences in people and their ideas. Where we no longer see people as polarizing labels (gay, liberal, conservative, anti-Mormon, tree-hugger...). I suppose such a place lives only in my dreams. A dream where the motivation is simply to live in peace and quiet.
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