A Time and a Place

English: Canvass for a Cause field organizers working on the ground in Maryland to build support for the upcoming initiative to Legalize marriage equality. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I make no bones about the fact that I tend to lean a little bit to the right in regards to my political affiliations. OK, there are those that might label me a "right wing extremist." It is a badge that I wear with honor.  Just take a quick gander through this blog and read through my Twitter feed, and you will no doubt come to the conclusion that I am 100% conservative.

Though I am proudly and unabashedly conservative, there are certain areas of my life where I do not wear my conservatism on sleeve.  For instance, I do not broadcast my political views in the office place for all the world to see.  That is not to say that if it comes up in conversation with a coworker that I won't express my leanings, but I do not go out of my way to express those views.  There are some places where I just don't feel it's appropriate.

Most of the places that I have worked have more or less had a policy in place that basically instructed employees not to discuss political issues.  As the old saying goes, there are two things you don't want to discuss in polite company, politics and religion.  I think it is probably a wise policy to have in place as it can help to keep the peace.

So, it has surprised me to see one particular individual boldly showing her support for a political issue, and a controversial one at that.  On a regular basis, she wears a button urging people to "Vote for Marriage Equality" in support of ballot question 6 on Maryland's ballot on whether or not the state should allow same sex marriage.

Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't seem to me to be appropriate to be wearing in an office setting.  It isn't the subject matter of the button that bothers me.  It just doesn't seem professional to me.  I would have no problem with her sporting a bumper sticker on her car or campaigning for her cause outside of the office.  One should be involved in causes they believe in.

It would probably be inappropriate of me to make a comment about how her appearance matches the stereotypical look of a butch lesbian but I won't go there.  Oops, I just did.  Seriously though, I am not sure how I will vote on this particular issue.  I don't have strong feelings either way, though I might be leaning a bit one side based on this post.

In all seriousness though, do you think it is appropriate to wear any type of political button/statement in the work place?  I wouldn't wear a button or have a plaque on my desk promoting the Romney/Ryan ticket.  Nor would I express my support or opposition to a ballot initiative like Question 6 here in Maryland.  Now, if we could have another Ronald Reagan, that would be another matter entirely.

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Eat Mor Chikin

Chick-Fil-A's signature chicken sandwich (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So what's the fuss?  The president of Chick-fil-A believes in traditional marriage and disagrees with gay marriage.  That puts him in the same company as at least half of the country.  I say "at least half" because even though polls show the country about evenly split and maybe a small majority favor gay marriage, in every state that has put the initiative on the ballot, not one state has had a result in favor of gay marriage.

Chick-fil-A's president, Dan Cathy, is a devout Christian.  That is why you can't go pick up a Chick-fil-A sandwich on a Sunday after church.  If the man was strictly in business for the money, he could easily open on Sundays and make even more money.  I have to admire a man who has principals and stands for those principals.

Cathy's statements in support of traditional marriage has brought out the worst in the leftist arsenal.  Democrat mayors are out there stating that they do not want Chick-fil-A to operate restaurants in their cities.  College campuses are doing the same thing. Many are calling for boycotts of the chain. The left is always quick to call for tolerance and civility.  The funny thing is, they never want to practice tolerance and civility towards those that hold different opinions from them.

Those that want to boycott Chick-fil-A are free to decide how they want to spend their money, but they are missing out on a good chicken sandwich.  I learned a long time ago, that it doesn't make sense to boycott companies, or for that matter entertainers, that I disagree with politically.  If that were the case, I would have to give up all of my Jimmy Buffett music, and that ain't gonna happen.

It is funny, a friend posted a picture on Facebook that said "So you stopped eating at Chick-fil-A because the owner of the company thinks homosexuality is wrong.  Tell me, when are you going to stop buying gasoline because the owners of OPEC put homosexuals to death."  The left never seems to fully think through these things.

I do not have real strong feelings either way regarding gay marriage.  I do, however, have a lot of respect for those that have strong religious principals and stand for them.  I have only eaten at Chick-fil-A a handful of times, however, I am more apt to do so out of respect for Dan Cathy standing on principal.  Besides, it just might piss off a liberal, and nothing would make me happier.

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Gay Marriage Passes in Maryland

Image via Wikipedia

Today, the governor of my home state of Maryland signed a bill into law that would legalize same sex marriage.  I hesitate to call him "my governor" as my loathing for Governor O'Malley may actually exceed my disdain for the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  The two of them are virtual clones of one another in terms of leftist policy.  If you saw where O'Malley and Obama stand on issues listed on a piece of paper, you would be hard pressed to tell which was which.

Last year, the state legislature attempted to pass a similar bill but it failed to get out of the legislature.  Since that failure, O'Malley has been actively pushing for a bill to be passed this year, vowing to sign the legislation into law.  One of the provisions that was added to the bill that I think allowed it to pass this time was a provision that the law would not go into effect until January 1st, 2013, rather than October 1st, which would allow the opportunity for opponents to get the initiative on a referendum in November.

I have stated here in the past that I do not have strong feelings one way or the other on the issue of gay marriage.  I do not feel that it would impact me that much.  I can be empathetic and can see the merits on both sides of the discussion.  On the one hand, I understand the religious and social arguments against same sex marriage.  Still, there are certain rights that married couples have that I think could be extended to same sex couples.

I fully expect that opponents of the law will gather enough signatures on petitions to have the measure brought to referendum.  As of right now, I have not made up my mind how I would vote on this legislation. Thus far, when these matters have been brought to a vote of the people, they have failed to pass.  There is another measure that will be on the ballot that I feel more strongly about, and that is Maryland's version of the Dream Act giving in state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants.  I will most definitely vote against that one. 

While I have not fully made up my mind regarding how I will vote if it makes the ballot, there are things that could sway me one way or the other.  One such thing that could have an impact on my decision is the video below of State Attorney General Douglas Ganzler.  In the video, Ganzler talks of the steps the governor has taken to ensure that the measure passes, even if it is voted down by the citizens.  Particularly disturbing are his comments about "voting machines not working."  Sounds kinda fishy to me.

 Hat tip to the Maryland Republican Party who posted it to their Facebook timeline which is how I learned of this video.

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Gay Marriage in Maryland?

Image via WikipediaThe state of Maryland has taken the first steps towards becoming the sixth state to allow gay marriages.  The bill has passed through the Judicial Proceedings Committee and is headed towards the Senate.  The Washington Post reports that the vote in the Senate is expected to be close, but most think it will pass.  Then it would go to the House of Delegates where it is expected to pass more easily.  Governor Martin O'Malley has said he would sign the bill.

I do not have real strong feelings either way on the issue.  It is an issue in which I have empathy for sides of the argument.  It really does not impact me or my marriage.  Over the years, I have worked with and been friendly with homosexuals who have been involved in monogamous relationships.  One coworker recently took advantage of DC's gay marriage laws and married his partner of several years.  Having spent several years in evangelical churches, I also understand the religious argument against gay marriage.

The one thing that I will say in regards to the path that Maryland is taking, is that I feel the state is going about this in the right way.  I am a big supported of the 10th Amendment of the Constitution and of state's rights.  The issue of marriage is one that I feel should be decided individually by the state.  I also like the fact that Maryland is passing it through legislation, and not the courts.  Some of the states that currently allow gay marriage have done so by judicial fiat.  Lastly, the bill includes a strong conscious clause that allows religious institutions to be exempt from having to perform same sex marriages. 

Like I said, I have no strong feeling either way.  Given the circumstances, Maryland is doing it the right way, with features that I think are necessary for religious institutions.  If the populace of Maryland decides that the law is something that they can not support they can petition to have the issue brought to a referendum or they can vote in legislators that would be supportive of repealing the law. 

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Maryland & Gay Marriage

Image via Wikipedia

The DC City Council passed a bill that would allow gay marriage in the District of Columbia.  They did so despite calls from religious leaders and others to put the bill to a referendum of the citizens.  The bill was signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty.  Since DC is still a federal district, any of the laws passed are subject to Congressional oversight.  With the overwhelming Democratic majority in the House and Senate, it does not appear that Congress will step in to change that legislation.

My state, the state of Maryland, has defined marriage as between a man and a woman since 1973.  While marriage is defined in Maryland as between a man and a woman, the law regarding recognizing marriages is a little more vague.  Maryland recognizes marriages performed in other jurisdictions under the "full faith and credit" clause of the US Constitution.  Same sex marriage is not specifically addressed.

As liberal as my state is, I fully expected that the issue of gay marriage would come up sooner rather than later.  With gay marriage looming so close in neighboring Washington, DC., a member of the Maryland house of delegates, Emmett Burns (D-Baltimore County) has introduced House Bill 90 that would ban the state from recognizing gay marriages performed in states or countries where the act is legal.  As I said, I expected the issue to come up sooner or later.  What I didn't expect was that a Democrat would be the one to propose a bill that would ban the recognition of gay marriage.

My current view of gay marriage is not typical of most conservatives.  I do not have a strong feeling either way.  I believe it is an issue to be determined by the individual states.  I believe that if a state legislature or the citizens by referendum decide to allow gay marriage, then so be it. I do have a problem with the matter being decided by activist courts.  I do not believe that churches should be compelled to perform gay marriages in states that allow it.  That being said, I do feel that marriages that are conducted in a legal fashion, including gay marriages, should be recognized by states, even if those states do not allow gay marriage.  Let's face it, with nearly half of heterosexual marriages ending in divorce, it isn't like we are getting it right ourselves.   

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