http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/288816/repeal-gay-marriage-perry-says?CSAuthResp=1320604983%3Atifr4hbu1blbglsgbsch2euv23%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Aapproved%3A1089F65399EFB6A67939B30D9FCFA7C4&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1
When it comes to certain moral issues such as gay marriage and abortion, not everyone in the United States agrees with Rick Perry. Tricia Nadolny’s article titled, Repeal Gary Marriage, Perry Says, in the Concord Monitor, describes Rick Perry’s stances on such issues. Rick Perry is quoted in the article as saying, “As conservatives we believe in the sanctity of life. We believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage. And I applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and father.”
(Nadolny). Perry goes on to say that the issue of life is often a slogan of campaigns as candidates hope to win votes, but to him, his stance on the issue is based on his authentic beliefs. The article goes on to note that, “as governor of Texas he supported the requirement of parental consent of minors seeking abortions, helped man third-trimester abortions and signed a budget that pulled funding from Texas Planned Parenthood.” (Nadolny). Needless to say, Rick Perry is Pro-Life and believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. This is where it is really difficult to make the distinction between religion and politics and having the ability to separate the two. For instance, on these issues, Rick Perry’s religious background in Protestant Christianity is shaping his beliefs. When discussing the sanctity of life and marriage, he speaks as a conservative, but these conservative views are shaped by his religion. Protestant Christians simply don’t believe in abortion or gay marriage. When speaking of gay marriage, Perry seems to argue that marriage is simply supposed to be between a man and a woman and that children are supposed to be raised by a parents of different sexes. In other words, Perry believes that is what God intended for humans. These are issues that are very important to voters and might sway some individuals away from Perry. However, Perry’s strong remarks on the issues seem to suggest that he believes there are enough voters that share his stances and therefore will vote for him.
Separating religion and politics where marriage is concerned is doable, though not realistic. Although I believe that the government should not be involved in the decision on who can and cannot get married, there needs to be a political definition for legal status. Having said that, Obama agreed that marriage should be between a man and a woman in 2008 yet he still won a majority of the gay vote (according to the reading this week), so it makes one wonder how much of an impact that has on the election results? In current economic turmoil, what would really help an electoral candidate is probably experience in running the economy and the ability to lead congress.
ReplyDelete"And I applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and father."
ReplyDeleteThis is a talking point which really grinds my gullet whenever religious conservatives bring it up, and I look forward to its eventual and sweeping death. I mean, what message does this sort of rhetoric send to single parents, or children raised by their grandparents, or any of a number of other alternative family arrangements that Americans all across the country are growing up within. It's a callous and, frankly, insulting attitude.
I will agree that the optimal environment for a growing child is with a loving family that can provide them with both male and female positive role models, but there is no reason why those role models should HAVE to be a mother and father. They could be an aunt or uncle, a grandmother or grandfather, an older sibling or teacher or family friend. Or yes, even a pastor.
The idea that a couple of lesbians are incapable of providing a young boy with a loving home wherein he can learn to be a good, responsible man (or vice-versa) is patently ludicrous.
- Kevin Chafe
Perry's stance on gay marriage definitely reflects his religious background, but I doubt this would make a large impact on voters turning away from him. I think that the passing of Prop 8 showed that even in very liberal-leaning California, voters are showing strong support against same-sex marriage. This may explain why Democratic candidates, namely Obama and Clinton in the 2008 election continue to position themselves against gay marriage. While they may be supportive of gay rights, it is the support of same-sex marriage that would turn too many voters away.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the comment above. Although I could never endorse Perry's position, I think it is not only reflective of his religious beliefs, but also the religious beliefs of the major voting bloc he is attempting to appeal to. I think a stance drastically different from his current position would actually cost him more voters than he would gain. Especially if we take into account the growing population of Evangelicals in the United States.
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