Too quiet..

December 1, 2006 has come and gone. Too quietly. On this snowy Wisconsin day, election results are now official here. No fanfare. No rallies, no press conferences, nothing. Just acceptance of a new reality, and I have to wonder how many people out there are feeling betrayed and forgotten.

Let's recap some excerpts from Wisconsin's Constitution, amended thanks to the official election results:

Preamble
We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, form a more perfect government, insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare, do establish this constitution.


Equality; inherent rights
Article I Section 1. All people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; to secure these rights, governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.


Marriage
Article XIII Section 13. Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.

Yes - little has changed. Marriage is as it was. Hetero couples, gay couples, single-parent households, child-less couples, foster parents, yes.. all continue to live as they were.

However, now a specific group of people among Wisconsin's citizens can be legally discriminated against because "look-alike marriages" such as civil unions are now banned. A civil union is one of those legal statuses identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals. It is a legal status which is separate and somewhat equal to marriage.

(umm.. is a couple which only pursues civil marriage in a look-alike marriage?)

Anyway, civil contracts between two gay people in a long-term relationship are now banned because certain Christian individuals felt their religious institution needed protection. I wonder when foolish decisions, domestic violence, adultery... REAL threats such as these to ANY relationship are addressed by these same Christian individuals. Let's not forget about accidental pregnancies. No: instead they seemingly choose to obsess over who makes up a couple in a long-term, committed relationship and interfere in their lives.

At a time when religious and political leaders are falling from grace due to scandal after scandal, when will they just leave the people around them alone to pursue happiness without banning automatic rights and privileges granted by the stroke of a pen on a marriage license?

While we're at it, lets look over some definitions from Webster's dictionary:

homosexual
Of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex.

heterosexual
Of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward the opposite sex.

bisexual
Of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward both sexes.

pedophilia
Sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object.

polygamy
Marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time.

marriage
(1) : The state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. (2) : The state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage. (same-sex marriage)

None of the above declare marriage to be a civil contract and a religious institution. Pedophilia and homosexuality clearly are not a package deal. But sure enough, the people of Wisconsin have spoken. One can only hope that in time, we the people will reconsider what we've done and act accordingly. One thing is certain: its only a matter of time.

Dane County had a 33% difference between the No and Yes vote. Clearly Madison requires little focus with regards to enlightening its people on civil rights. Perhaps forward thinking groups such as the Milwaukee 7 - with special pages in French, Spanish, German, and Chinese to boot - will help to draw people here that in time will demand change.

Now there's a thought..