[jyl]

I'm all for gay marriage. I know many gay couples (some men, some women) who are responsible, deserving, devoted folks who depend on and are committed to each other just like any straight couple and in some cases are raising happy, healthy kids. The idea that they can't get the symbolic committment of marriage and the practical legal benefits of marriage is flat out wrong.

The objections to gay marriage are, when you dig into them. almost all based on religious beliefs. Well, this country isn't supposed to be run by or for the religious. I'm an atheist, my wife is Catholic, my kids are being raised Catholic but might eventually choose to be anything from born-again to Muslim to whatever. My choice and their choice is no damn business of the government. And if two gay people want to make a life-long committment, the government has no damn business stopping them.

From a practical political standpoint, as a Democrat I have to admit I wish this issue hadn't come up at this time. Kind of like I thought Clinton was stupid for making gays in the military his first big initiative - there's ideals and then there's practicalities. Between the gay marriage issue and the self-absorbed idiot Ralph Nader, the past couple weeks haven't been good for the Dems.