I was surprised to read Trey Treviño’s column “Shame on you, Maine” in last Thursday’s Daily Campus because of its overly broad characterization of “stodgy conservatives.” Treviño asked for enlightenment into conservative reasoning, and I’d like to enlighten him to my point of view.
First, the state is really nothing more than the hand of society. It is supported by our electoral power, common will, and, whether we like it or not, our tax dollars. Likewise, it is the common hope of the citizens of the state that the state will protect our societal values and norms. Society values families and rests assured that the state offers assistance to families.
The reason the state offers support to families via financial help (welfare, special tax treatment, different treatment under property law, etc.) is because families are valued as an important construct of society. If families are redefined via legislation or referendum (which is yet to happen) to include same-sex marriage, then the state will extend the same support to same-sex marriage. That support is derived from more than just liberals because the state derives its support from more than just liberals. In fact, conservatives pay a large portion of the taxes in this country.
Conservatives would like to retain our right to voice our opinion on societal values and not offer financial support to ensure the longevity of same-sex marriages.
Second, conservatives don’t get kicks from discriminating against others, nor do we fear our children “will turn gay before our eyes” because same-sex marriage is invented by the state. Many conservatives, and even liberals, do not agree with same-sex marriage from a moral point of view.
It is our constitutional right to believe what we want. I believe that we do not agree with same-sex marriage because we don’t consider homosexual lifestyles to be morally-balanced lifestyles that need state protection.
That doesn’t mean we want to police homosexuals and force them to renounce homosexual acts. It does not mean we hate them and want to see them booted from society. It simply means we disagree with them and do not want to offer state protection for their choice to live a homosexual lifestyle.
In the future, conservatives would appreciate your respect for their right to voice their opinion. Try to keep the sensational accusations under control.
– David Coon
Law Student