] "An amendment to the Constitution is never to be
] undertaken lightly," Mr. Bush said. "The amendment
] process has addressed many serious matters of national
] concern, and the preservation of marriage rises to this
] level of national importance."

I've been at a loss for what to say about this gay marriage issue. I don't feel its an issue that effects me. Is that selfish? I'm starting to think so. It definitely is if we are now talking about making amendments to The Constitution.

San Francisco, before and after allowing same-sex marriages, seems the same to me. There have been no riots. There has been no break down of order. No screaming in the streets. No masses of heathens roaming the streets raping small children. No breakdown of family values. No burning churches. Nothing that the fundamentalist right would have you believe is right around the corner following such a drastic change in policy.

I can tell you what I have seen. I live about 5 blocks away from City Hall, so I've had a pretty good view. I've seen nothing. Just a rise in activity in and out of the building, and slightly more news vans present then usual. Have I seen happy gay couples? Sure, I see those every single day. I'm also about 8 or 10 blocks away from the Castro. I've seen a few "we all deserve the right to marry" banners on cars, but parking has not been any harder to find. In general, its business as usual in San Francisco. If I wasn't paying attention to the news, I might not even know anything was going on or think strangely of it. No one around me seems to.

The rest of the country however, seems up in arms. Its almost hard for me to believe that there is serious talk about making an amendment to the Constitution over this. I'm not sure where to even begin trying to analyze or comment on such a bone headed maneuver.

I'm one of those people who was raised in an environment where "faggot" was general purpose playground insult. As years wore on, I was exposed to real gay people, had friends come out of the closet, etc. I came to detest the type of discrimination that gays endure. I have my own form of "white guilt" over the issue. In that respect, I am America. In the same way that America hated blacks, or women, or any other group that we have oppressed in our history. America changes its mind given evidence of wrong doing. America rises to right wrongs. America is about equality.

I think my views are pretty common. I'm "average" in many respects. I'm moderate in my politics. In general, whatever situation I'm in, I try to find "the opposition" and play it, if only for the thought exercise. That leads people to believe I'm a "radical", but any given group has a very different opinion about what I'm so "radical" about. Here though, I have a really strong opinion. I believe in freedom. I believe in liberty. I believe that people should be able to live the way they want to live, and to pursue happiness. In whatever form they desire. If there is not a place for it, then you create one.

San Francisco. Since the civil rights movement, gay rights have been an issue. The quietest of issues. The blacks have gotten their rights. Women have gotten their rights. Latinos have gotten their rights. Asians have gotten their rights. And many other groups I leave out... These battles are ongoing, but there is government sanction of the win. There is suffrage and protection. America is a safe haven, the battle rages on within society, peacefully. Now, its the gays turn to receive their sanction.

This is a battle about people. People and numbers. Bush is right, in that marriage is one of the must fundamental values of our society. We must build families, reproduce, and give them our values. That is how we grow, not just as a nation but as people of this earth. Sexuality is not something as simple as what we are born with. People make decisions. They make them in the face of things so complex that only hindsight is capable of producing the reasons. In a world where population is exploding and resources are contracting, does this seem so strange? Really..

What is society's product today? Is it more meat? Or is it ideas. What are we evolving to do? Dare we, as the most free nation on earth, deny our people the ability to explore other options? Dare we be so arrogant to declare that our idea of the family is the only idea? Dare we decree we fully understand the rights and wrongs of our animal natures? Dare we... In the land of the free.

The replacement for the Twin Towers, is one tower soaring to the sky, and one hole in the ground.. Must we look for deeper logic? Who must we see as the oppressed? The gays? Islam? Oh yes, Islam. I see why the religious are fearing.. Are you waiting for your beliefs to become in question? Perhaps choices?

When I heard of Newsom's decision, I was inspired. I remember clearly, the day after, walking down the street with a friend discussing the matter. Its amazing the number of connections that can occur, walking down just the right block, at just the right time. In this battle, this decade, this time, it may be that block I remember for context. It was uphill, that much I will say.

People, many people, not just those directly effected, fought hard and long for this. There were passionate arguments made. There were logical arguments made. There were political arguments made. But most of all, there were example shown. San Francisco has had a very open and proud gay community for a very long time. This community deserves its pride. Its shown the best way of making change that I can think of. Nothing was done driven by hate, and all reasons where shown by example. No systems were destroyed, only built and tore down. People just lived their lives, out in the open. They allowed themselves to be judged by all, and won.

This is all the beauty the process has for us to see. It does not matter if it touches you. Attacks on these people should been seen as attacks on ourselves. No amendment to the Constitution of the United States will be made in hate, or limit rights, while I am alive.

Bush Backs Ban in Constitution on Gay Marriage