Gay marriage.

It seems that the United States Senate is once again debating an amendment to the constitution banning gay marriage. While I consider myself to be a loyal republican and a principaled conservative. I can't help but disagree with my party and my president on this issue. I am a conservative because I believe in smaller government that does not interfer in the lives of it's citizens, that does for the people only that which they cannot do for themselves. I believe that conservative, low tax, small government ideas provide the most freedom to people. We cannot and must not attempt to legislate matters of sexuality between concenting adults. What people do with another consenting adult in the privacy of their own home is not the business of government. If a gay/ lesbian couple wishes to marry and share their lives together that is there right and business.

I see the issue of gay rights in the same light as the civil rights movement. We must as a nation recongize the rights of all of our citizens to govern there lives with the same freedoms that the vast majority of us take for granted. Much as African americans in the 1960's, and 70's had to fight for basic rights in our society so do homosexuals.

Ultimatley my belief comes down to the old saying keep "Democrats out of the wallet and Republicans out of the bed room" I talking recently to a very close friend of mine, one who happens to be gay and she was telling me how difficult and unjust it seemed that if she walked down a city street holding the hand of the women she loved she received dirty looks and sometimes open ridicule. That made me think, I can imagine the same feeling being had by interracial couples in the american south forty years ago. I just hope that by the time my children are adults, we will have gotten past that kind of bigotry. Let us hope so.